The Men From the Gate
by luli27
Summary: While attending a military function, BB find 2 bodies as a result they're let in on the best kept secret in the world. Crossover with SG1. BB, HA, SJ, DV but everyone appears.
1. Chapter 1

**The Men from the Gate**

**Disclaimer:** Neither Bones or its characters nor SG1 nor its characters belong to me. I'm just taking them on a lovely cross-over trip.

**Disclaimer 2: **This is my first Bones case fic and maybe first story where I try to do more than just get a couple together. So, I'm taking this opportunity to humbly ask you to suspend your disbelief and forgive any erronous scientific explanation I might make. If anything I say wouldn't be true in the real world, just remember that I need it to be true in _my_ little world for the story to work. I know next to nothing about forensic anthropology, theoretic astrophisicists, anatomy, physics or chemestry - high school was a while ago and in college I took Astronomy and Cosmology - no help at all. I could try to do research, but the truth is any sort of scientific explanation gives me a headache and I end up more confused than I began (that's why I always skipped the scientific explanation in all the scifi books I read). Second, while I truly respect and admire the men and women of the armed forces for their dedication, I've never been in the military -therefore, if my explanations don't make sense, again forgive my artistic license. Lastly, forgive the long diclaimer, it's the lawyer in me. While I might not get scientific jargon, I definitely get legal jargon and I tend to be rather verbose.

**A/N: **I love the fact that Booth is an ex-Ranger but I think that with the exception a a few episodes, the show hasn't really explored that aspect of his character. So, I wanted to explore that area a little more and I thougth what better way to do that than having the Bones people meet the SG1 people. I think that Booth/Brennan have a lot in common with Jack/Sam and having them interact should be interesting. This chapter is all BB, but I'll be bringing JS shortly and a few chapters later the squint squad will meet SG1 - which will be fun. For those that haven't watched SG1, everything you need to know about the show and the gate will be explained when BB and the squints learn the secret. For those that know SG1 and have read my stories, this comes after Te Amare (which I _will_ finish) and before SG1 in Atlantis. As for Bones, it comes after I know. Well, that's all. I hope you like it and please review!!

**Chapter 1: The Invitation**

"Arg," FBI Special Agent Seeley Booth exclaimed as he threw his pen down on top of dozens of folders and papers scattered across his desk. "How did all of these case files accumulated together again?"

"How? Need I remind you that we've had quite a few back to back cases and not much time to keep up with all the paperwork?" His partner Dr. Temperance 'Bones' Brennan answered without looking up from the table where she was working on her on bunch of files.

"Um," Booth said as he leaned back on his chair. "We really shouldn't let these mount up like this again."

"We?!" Bones asked incredulous, still without looking up from her work. "Who was it that when we had the only night off between cases instead of working on the paperwork like the other partner wanted insisted there'll be time later on so that we ended having dinner and a drink?" she asked.

"Ok, ok, that was me," Booth admitted. "I better not do that again, do I?" He asked sheepishly.

"Don't worry," Bones assured him. "I won't let you. Now, start working and stop procrastinating." She ordered and he made a face at her, wondering how she could know he wasn't working when she hadn't once look up from the paperwork in front of her.

Less than an hour later, Booth once again threw his pen on his desk and leaned back on his chair, complaining, "I'm bored. What do you say we go out and get a snack?" He proposed as he looked over at Bones, wearing his charm smile.

That smile, however, was lost on his partner as she once again didn't look up as she answered, "No, Booth. We're never going to finish all this paperwork if we keep stopping every time you get bored."

"Ah, Bones," he started to wheedled when a movement by his office door made him take his eyes from Bones and towards it just as a knock sounded.

"Major Booth?" An Army Sergeant stood at the threshold looking at Booth.

At the call, Bones finally looked up from her work to see who was calling Booth by his Army rank as Booth slowly pushed back from his desk and stood next to it.

"Yes, that's me," he said.

The Sgt. clicked his heels together, came to attention and said, "Sir," as he sharply saluted.

Deeply ingrained military reflexes meant that he automatically returned the salute, "Sgt."

"Sir, Colonel Saunders sent me to give this to you personally." The Sgt. said as he entered the office in measured steps, holding what looked like an invitation.

At the sight of the envelop, Booth relaxed slightly and stepped forward to meet the young Sgt. "Thank you," he said with a small nod as he received the envelope.

The Sgt. returned the nod and said, "Colonel Saunders requests that you RSVP by email, sir."

Booth smiled slightly and said, "I bet he did." Seeing the look on the Sgt.'s face, he added, "Don't worry, Sgt. I'll let the Colonel know you delivered the message."

"Thank you, sir. Good bye, Sir," he said with another salute before he turned to Bones and with another nod said, "Ma'am." He then gave a have a sharp turnabout and left the office, leaving Booth staring after him and tapping the envelope on the fingers of his left hand.

"_Major_ Booth?" Bones asked, breaking Booth from his reverie.

"Oh?" he asked as he turned to look at her. "Ah, that's my military rank, Bones. You know that." He answered as he started to open the invitation, though he was pretty certain he knew what it was for.

"I know," Bones conceded as she saw him reading the invitation. "It's just that I rarely hear you being call that. It took me by surprise, that's all."

"Yeah, well, it happens." Booth said distractedly as he finished reading. "And he _is_ an Army Sgt. – he really wouldn't call me anything else." He pointed out.

"I guess," Bones said but she too was distracted by the contents of the invitations. Finally, her curiosity won out, "So, what does it say?"

Booth looked up, leaned against the edge of his desk and crossing his feet, said, "It's an invitation to the annual Armed Forces Fundraiser Dinner."

"Fundraiser?" Bones asked. "What are they collecting funds for? The war?" The last was said with a slight smirk.

"Funny, Bones. Very funny," Booth said with a fake smile. "No, it so happens that the proceeds from this dinner go into a fund that helps the families of soldiers that have fallen in action. You know for the stuff that their regular pensions don't cover: college tuition, house repairs, unexpected medical expenses – things like that." Booth explained.

"Sound like a worthy cause," she commented.

"It is. It's very worthy," Booth agreed.

"So, you going?" she asked.

"Nah, I don't think so," he answered as he straightened and walked back to his chair.

"Let me see," she asked for the envelope and invitation when he passed her by. "Why aren't you going? You just said it's a worthy cause," she asked, going back to the original conversation.

"And I will be making my donation like every year," Booth told her. "But this gala is just not my thing, you know. A bunch of big wig military officers, mingling with a bunch of politicians – no, not my thing." He repeated, shaking his head.

"Well, I think you should go," she insisted. "It'd be good for you."

Booth smiled a bit incredulous as he sat down and asked, "How is going to a boring gala dinner good for me?"

She just shrugged as she studied the invitation, "Hey, this says that the dinner is this Saturday."

"Yep. That's when it is," Booth confirmed as he picked up his pen and looked at all the paperwork, thinking that it might be a good idea to get back to work.

"That's just four days away!" she exclaimed. "Isn't this very short notice?"

"It would be," Booth agreed without looking up from the case file he'd just picked up. "If that was the first invitation I received."

"You mean that it isn't?" Bones asked for clarification.

"Oh, no. I've received the first invitation a couple of months ago and the second a few weeks ago." He explained.

"And are all third invitations hand delivered?" she asked, curiously.

"What?" He looked up at the question and with a half laugh said, "No, of course not. It's just that I talked to Colonel Saunders . . ."

"Who's Col. Saunders?" she interrupted him to ask.

"My old CO," he answered before going on. "Anyway, I talked to him a few days ago and he asked me why I hadn't RSVP. I told him that I haven't received any invitations and that they must have gotten lost in the mail." He smiled and shook his head. "I don't think he believed me and I guess he decided to take away that excuse by having it hand delivered this time."

"I guess he really wants you to go," Bones commented.

"I guess so," Booth agreed, turning back to the case file.

"Booth, I really think you should go," Bones insisted.

Booth stopped reading the file and turned to look at her as he leaned back on his chair, "You're not going to let this go, are you?" But he already knew she wouldn't, she was like a dog with a bone sometimes.

"No," she agreed with a smile. "I'm not."

"Ok," Booth said as he put his hands behind his head. "I'll make you a deal. I'll go to this thing if you go with me." He proposed with a smirk.

Bones looked at him as she thought about it. This thing that was between them had been slowly but steadily growing since Sully sailed away all those months ago. They had began to spend more and more time together, to the point that now most of their down time was spent in each other's company. In fact, it had been months since either of them had gone in a date with anyone else. The last one to have a date had been Booth about four months ago and he had come back saying that it was absolutely the most boring evening he remembered spending – ever. Since then, neither one had even bothered to pretend that they were on the market.

To Bones's considerable relief and surprise Angela, who had always been after her to go out, meet men and date, had not even once pushed her to date in all those months. When Bones, a few weeks ago, got curious enough to ask about the absence of Angela's nagging, Angela had said, "Sweetie, I don't need to bug you about dating because you're already dating." At Bones' incredulous look, she had added, "Honey, you're dating Booth. And no, don't tell me you're not, because you are. You may not be sleeping together or even making out, but you two are doing everything else a couple that's dating does. Ergo, you're dating. You're just dating platonically – you know, sort of like our grand-parents probably did." She finished with a shrug, leaving a stunned forensic anthropologist behind as she left Bones's office and went back to work.

Bones had not been convinced by Angela's reasoning, but it had made her think about it and she had come to the conclusion that Angela hadn't been altogether wrong. The most surprising thing about the whole thing, however, was that she had not panicked at that realization. She wasn't sure what she wanted to do about the situation with Booth but she did know that she wasn't scared and she wasn't going to run from it.

From the look in Booth's eyes, Bones could see that he half-expected her to turn him down. She could understand why he wasn't sure of her answer; though, they had accompanied each other in every other social obligation either one had in the past few months, this occasion was different. All the other times had been functions that were somehow related to work and had thus really being obligations. This function was not an obligation but something to which they would voluntarily go – a real social event. Going together would be another step down the relationship road they were on. And since she had already decided not to run from it, the only thing to do was to go forth.

"Alright, I'll go with you," she told him and had the rare pleasure of seeing she had surprised him with her easy acquiesce. "You better e-mail the Colonel and RSVP."

He smiled and said, "Alright, you're on. Aren't you going to complain about how little time you'll have to find something to wear?" He asked her with another smirk.

Bones looked at him with that frown that said she didn't know what he was talking about and said, "No, why would I? I'm sure I have something in my closet that'd work just fine."

Booth just smiled and shook his head at her atypical feminine response.

"Are _you_ worried about what to wear?" She asked as she took a closer look at the invitation.

"Me?" Booth asked as he sent his electronic RSVP to the Colonel. "Nah, I'll just wear my dress uniform." He answered.

The thought of Booth in a uniform distracted her for a minute. She was sure that he'll fill his uniform very, very nicely. As she was contemplating what Booth's physique would do to an Army uniform, she idly turned over the envelope in which the invitation had come. The form of address on it cleared her head of any visions of Booth in uniform.

"Booth?" she called him, still staring at the envelope.

"Yeah?" he answered vaguely, finishing the email to his former CO.

"This envelope is addressed to _Major_ Booth," she told him.

"Yeah, Bones, we just established not five minutes ago that that's my rank." Booth answered as he hit send on his computer.

"I know," she replied in a tight voice, which made him look at her. "And I understand that the Sgt. would greet you like that. But, and I don't know much about military protocol, but isn't it usual to address correspondence to retired personal with the word retired before the rank?" She asked, looking directly into his eyes.

"Yeah, that's how it's done," he answered, not liking where this conversation was heading.

"Then, why is this envelope," and she waved the envelope, "addressed to _Major_ Booth and not _Ret_. Major Booth?" When he didn't immediately answer, she pressed, "I mean you _are_ retired, aren't you Booth?"

"Well," he started answered as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Not exactly."

"Not exactly?" She repeated, in a very tight voice. "How can you not exactly be retired? That's like saying you're a little bit pregnant – it's not possible. You either are or you aren't." She told him as she dropped the envelope on the table and crossed her arms.

"It's not that simple, Bones," he tried to explained. "I'm not retired but I'm not in active duty either."

"Then what are you?"

With a shrug, he said, "I'm in inactive status, which is basically the same thing as being retired."

"Basically?" she repeated. "That means that it's not the same thing. What's the difference?"

Booth sighed and played with the pen in his hand, he really wish they could avoid this conversation. "It just means that for all intent and purposes I'm a civilian; I hold a civilian job and have the same duties and privileges as a civilian." He said with anther shrug.

But Bones knew him too well, "Except?"

He sighed again and decided the hell with it, "Except that they could recall me to active duty at any moment and I have to be ready for it. It's like being in the reserves except I wouldn't be attached to a reserves unit but to an active unit, I'd have little to no notice if I was to be recalled and I have to meet all the requirements every few weeks to show them I'm still fit for duty."

"How?" At his questioning look, she clarified. "How do you meet the requirements and show them you're fit for duty?"

"I report for five days of training every six weeks," he told her, looking at her closely.

"All those training sessions you're always going on . . .?" After he nodded, she said, "I thought they were FBI training sessions."

"No," he shook his head. "Army training."

"And you never thought that this was something you should mention? You know, in case one day I wake up and find out that my partner had been shipped out to God knows where?" She asked him in a cold voice and he could see in his eyes that she was not taking the news well at all. He knew that this conversation was probably bringing back all sort of unpleasant memories and fears for her.

He sighed yet again and leaned forward on his desk and tried to conveyed how serious he was by the look in his eyes, "Bones, this is not something that we talk about," and she knew that by that 'we' he didn't mean the two of them but rather military personnel. "You know I was Ranger, right?" He waited for her nod before going on. "Well, you know that's Special Forces and most of my missions are classified." He shrugged and went on, "I don't talk about the fact that I'm not retired because I'm . . . well, I'm not allowed to talk about it."

Bones looked at him more closely and asked, "Why? Because you're what? Like a spy or something?"

Booth chuckled at the question, "No, not a spy. Those are civilians." He answered. "I'm still an Army Major with the 75th Ranger Regiment. It's just that me and those in my unit, we're," he shrugged again; "I guess you could say that we're the Army's ace in the hole; a sort of hidden weapon that they'll use as a last resort."

"Bones," he continued trying to make her understand he hadn't kept this from her by choice. "I would have told you all about this sooner, but I was . . . I am under orders _not_ to talk about it with anyone. In fact, except for my superiors in the Army, the only other person that knows about it it's Cullen and that's only because he's my supervisor and he _has_ to know about it."

She nodded her head at the explanation; she still didn't like the fact that he'd kept this from her for so long but she understood what it was to be under orders not to talk about something. "Aren't you going to get in trouble for telling me now?" She asked him with a slight smile to show him she understood, even if she didn't like it.

He returned the smile and said, "What're they going to do? Kick me out?" His smiled widened when she grinned at that response but then he sobered up and in his earnest tone, told her, "I wouldn't have volunteer the information, Bones, but I'm not going to lie to you. I've never lied to you and I won't start now."

She nodded her head again and with small but sincere smile, told him, "I know that and it means a lot. Thank you."

"No problem. And Temperance," he added and had her looking at him closely at him, surprised at his use of her first name. "You would _never_ wake up to find that I've gone. I would _never_ leave without talking to you and telling good-bye first – orders be damn. I would _never_ do that to you. I may be forced to leave you, Temperance, but I wouldn't leave by choice and I wouldn't leave without you knowing about it."

At the sincerity in his voice and eyes, Temperance felt her eyes fill with tears and was forced to close them to stop them from falling. She then had to take deep breaths to calm down. She knew he would never leave her if he could help it – that he would never hurt her that way. But she still appreciated the fact that he took the time to reassure her yet again; that he knew her enough to do it. And she chose not to dwell on the fact that he could be order to leave at any moment, because then she would really break down.

"So, you could be recalled at any moment?" she asked after she calmed down.

Booth relaxed when he saw that she was once again in control and that the news, though upsetting, had not been the disaster that he had feared they'd be if she ever found out. "Technically, I guess so," he answered as he leaned back on his chair again. But he must have relaxed a little bit too much, that was the only explanation for the words that came out of his mouth next, "But Cullen assured after the last time that the chances that a recall order actually go through were slim to none."

But Bones only heard two words out of that explanation, "Last time?" she asked him. "You've already been recalled?"

'Crap! Damn, shit,' he thought when he realized what he'd let slip. He had had no intention of ever letting her know about that. Well, too late now. "Um, yeah. A couple of times." He answered truthfully because as he had already told he had never lied to her and he wasn't about to start now – he might have kept some things from her but he had never lied to her.

"A couple of times?" she repeated. "When exactly?" she asked him with narrowed eyes as she crossed her arms again.

"Well, the first time was right after our first case and the second was right after Deputy Director Kerby was killed." He answered. "And before you asked why I didn't mention it, one: I couldn't. Two: the first time we weren't really close enough that I would have mentioned it; I mean we were just beginning to know each other. And the second time, well, your father and Russ had left again; you had enough on your plate and I wasn't about to add more to it – especially when I really wasn't supposed to talk about it, you wouldn't have been able to do anything about it and at the end it came to nothing."

"Um," she said as she leaned back on her chair and studied him with her still narrowed eyes. Knowing Booth and his alpha male protective tendencies, it did make sense that he wouldn't have wanted to tell her about him possibly having to leave when she was still reeling from the fact that her bother and father had left her again. "You know, Booth, you don't always have to protect."

"Maybe not," he agreed. "But, hey, that's what I do."

She nodded her head, knowing it was useless to argue with him about it when his instincts wouldn't let him do anything else and at the end of the day, she wouldn't want him to be anything less than what he was.

Booth saw the nod and smiling asked her, "So, are we ok?"

"Yeah, we're ok," she answered him. And they were ok; she might not have liked what she'd just learned but she couldn't really hold it against him. There was no point in being mad at him when he'd done what he had to do – what _she_ would have done in his place and what she knew if he had to, he would do again. She had a lot of thinking to do to really assimilate everything she'd learned but she'd do it when she was alone. "We are ok," she repeated to let him know she meant.

"Great," he said with a grin and clapping his hands together leaned towards his desk and asked her, "How's about we finish this paperwork so we could go out and have dinner, huh?"

"That sounds fine," she agreed and with sharing a last smile, she turned back to her paperwork but just as she picked up her pen, she remembered something. "How can be sure?" She asked, turning to look at Booth again.

"How can who be sure of what?" Booth asked her, looking up.

"Cullen," she answered him. "How can Cullen be sure that you won't be recalled again?"

"Oh, that," Booth answered as he started playing with his pen again. "Well, I don't know all the details but apparently the Attorney General agreed with Cullen that I'm more valuable as an FBI agent than as an Army Ranger and since I had just helped uncovered a cover up and freed an innocent man, the Attorney General was able to convinced the Joint Chiefs that it would not be a good idea if I were to suddenly disappeared in some secret mission. It might look like a punishment or worse: another cover up. And since you're my partner, I tend to be on the spotlight on and off, so the Chiefs agreed that it would probably be for the best if I was only recalled if there was no other alternative."

"Then why don't you just really retired?" she wanted to know.

"Because they reserved the right to recall me at a moment's notice and I have to be ready and able to go if and when they do. But if that happens, it'd probably mean that everything's gone to hell so . . ."

She nodded her head, understanding that if that were to happen, he'd want to go and do what he could. "I guess it's a good thing that we're partners, huh?" She joked.

"Definitely," he answered seriously.

"Well, I'm glad that you're not going anywhere," she told him simply and sincerely.

"Me too," he responded just as sincerely.

"Ok, well, let's finish this paperwork. I'm getting kind of hungry," she exclaimed and turned back to the paperwork, effectively ending the moment before it got too awkward.

Booth agreed and both turned their attention to their work, glad that the evening's revelations had not damaged their relationship but that instead they've proven once again how strong their bond was.


	2. Chapter 2

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **I still don't own either Bones nor SG1, though I wouldn't turn them down if they offered them.

**A/N: **Well, here's the next chapter. I'm not sure where it came from, I was going to write about the gala but Angela and Brennan popped in and wouldn't leave until I wrote them talking about Booth's revelations. But don't worry, next chapter I will write about the gala. I know that this is a cross-over and so far we haven't seen the SG1 yet, but I promise they come in next chapter. And I also promise that I will write about Booth's feelings but it will come in a little later. Hope you like it.

**Chapter 2**

"Morning, sweetie." Angela said as she walked into Brennan's office the following morning. "How did yesterday go?" She asked as she sat down in the couch. "Did you and Booth finish all your paperwork?"

"Um," Brennan said somewhat distractedly as she looked up from where she had been studying her computer monitor without actually seeing anything. "Oh, Angela, hi. Yes, we finally managed to finish all the paperwork." She then turned back to her computer but once again did nothing more than just stare at it.

"Ok, sweetie," Angela said as she noticed how distracted Brennan was. "What's going on?"

"Nothing," Brennan answered but it was obvious she was lying. "Nothing's going on."

"Come, sweetie. I can tell something's going on and I'd bet anything that it has to do with Booth."

Brennan looked up in surprise and asked, "Why would you say that?"

"Because," Angela answered as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "There are only two things that put that look on your face: problems with your dad and/or brother or problems with Booth. Now, if it was problems with your dad/brother, I'm pretty sure you'd have told me what happened already. But when it's a problem with Booth, well, then I have to dig a little deeper before you start talking."

Brennan just stared at Angela for a few minutes before shaking her head and saying, "I don't know where to be impressed or frighten by your logic."

"Oh, impressed," Angela decided. "Definitely impressed. Now, are you going to start talking or do I have to start guessing?" She threatened.

Brennan thought about it and knew the threat was real, but she still wasn't sure she should talk about it. "I just . . . I don't know if I can talk about it." She finally admitted.

"What do you mean?" Angela asked as she shifted on the couch, leaning forward and resting her arms on her legs. "Why can't you talk about it?"

"Because Booth told me what he told me in confidence," Brennan explained as she got up from her seat and started pacing around her office. She hadn't been able to sleep too much because she had spent most of the night thinking about what she'd learned the day before. She needed to talk about it and Angela was the perfect person but she didn't want to break Booth's confidence.

"Did he tell you that you couldn't talk about it with anyone?" Angela asked to clarify the situation.

Brennan stopped pacing in front of the couch and turned to stare at Angela, "Well, no." She admitted. "Not in so many words, it was just understood."

"Um," Angela said as she sat back again. "I don't know, Bren. If he didn't tell that you couldn't talk about it, then I'd say you can tell me about it."

Brennan studied her a minute and then made a decision. She walked to the door and closed it before turning to go sit at the couch, "You have to promise me to not say anything to anyone. That includes Hodgins, Angela. Not a word to anyone," she repeated.

"Not to anyone," Angela promised. "Now, what's the big secret?"

"It's not a secret, really. But not many people know about it," Brennan said and then took a deep breath and told Angela everything that had gone on the evening before.

After she finished speaking, there was a long silence as Angela tried to absorb what she'd just learned. "Wow," she finally said. "I can see why you're so freaked."

Brennan thought about saying that she was not freaked but the word worked as good as anything else. So she just settled back on the couch and nodded.

Angela studied Brennan for a minute and then asked, "Ok, so, what are you thinking right now?"

"I don't know, Ang," Brennan admitted as she let her head fall on the back of the couch. "I'm so confused. It's all I thought of last night and I'm still not sure what the hell I'm thinking much less feeling."

Angela nodded her head in understanding; she could definitely understand why Brennan would feel confused. "Well, let's start from the beginning. Are you mad at him?"

"Mad?" Brennan repeated the question.

"Yes, for not telling you this sooner," Angela clarified what she meant.

"No," Brennan answered as she turned her head to look at Angela. "I was when he first told me about. But then he explained how he'd been under orders not to tell anyone and I know what that's like. Remember that time a few months ago when I had to leave for a couple of weeks?"

"Yes," Angela answered. "You wouldn't tell anyone where you were going."

"That's because it was classified. And I as soon as I told him that he stopped asking where I was going and just supported the decision. He took me to the airport, told me that he'd miss me and to hurry back. How can I be mad at him when he was so understanding when I couldn't tell him where I was going?" Brennan asked.

Angela shook her head as she answered, "You can't."

"And the fact of the matter is that when I asked him straight out, he told me the truth. He didn't try to prevaricate or tell me that he couldn't talk about it; he just plain told me the truth. It's like he told: he might not have volunteered the information but he didn't lie when asked about it." Brennan told her and then shook her head. "No, I can't be mad at him. All of this might be easier if I could."

Angela nodded her head and said, "Maybe. But you're right you can't be mad at him. You're very lucky because I don't think that man could lie to you. There are not that many men out there that are as honest."

"I know," Brennan said as she thought of all the people in her life that have lied to her in one way or another.

"So, are you scared?" Angela asked, continuing to go through the emotions to determine what Brennan was feeling.

"Scared?" Brennan once again repeated. "Of him having to go at a moment's notice or him not coming back?"

"Either, both," Angela answered with a wave of her hand to indicate that it didn't matter which she chose.

Brennan took a deep breath as she turned to study the ceiling and think about her answer. "If I think too much about him leaving, then yes, I get scared. So, I've tried not to dwell too much on the possibility. It's like Booth told me once, you know, why dread something that hasn't happen yet? Besides, Cullen told him that the chances that he'd be called back to active duty are remote and the reasons he gave make sense. So, outside of a crisis, I'm pretty sure he won't be going anywhere. And if there happen to be crisis, then . . ."

"Then it wouldn't matter whether he was ordered or not, because he'd probably volunteer to go," Angela finished where Brennan trailed off.

"Yes, he probably would. That's who he is." Brennan agreed.

"It's not easy caring for honorable men, is it?" Angela asked.

The question was rhetoric but Brennan answered it anyway, "No, it's not."

"Ok," Angela said after a few moments of silence in which Brennan studied the ceiling. "So, if you're not mad and you're not scared, what are you feeling?" She asked again, because she just ran out of the emotions that could be logically connected with the situation.

"I'm. . . I guess I'm surprise," Brennan started to answer.

"Surprised?" Angela asked, surprised herself. "I know that this came out of the blue, but does it really surprise you that he'd do something like this?"

"No, not that," Brennan answered as she shook her head. "After the initial shock wore off, I wasn't surprised at all. This is just the kind of thing he'd do," she shrugged.

"Then what are you surprised at?"

"I'm surprised at my reaction, actually," Brennan answered as she sat up and look at Angela to show she was being serious.

"What do you mean?" Angela asked as she got comfortable on the couch; she just knew this was going to take a while.

Brennan shrugged and said, "Just that I'm surprised at how I've reacted. I mean, I just found out that my partner and best friend could be leaving at any moment to go to war and I haven't panicked. I was angry at the beginning and if I think too much about him leaving I get really scared but all in all, I haven't panicked; I haven't once thought about ending the relationship before he could leave. Instead, we went to dinner like any other nigh and I found myself wanting to spend more time with him just in case. If this had happened three years ago . . ." She trailed off and then resume in a slow voice. "This wouldn't have happened three years ago because I wouldn't have been this close to him three years ago."

"Sweetie," Angela said as she leaned forward to take Brennan's hand. "This is good. You not running away is very good."

"I guess," Brennan said in a tone of voice that said she didn't really think so. "It's just . . . I don't want him to go, Ang."

"Of course you don't, sweetie," Angela said in a reassuring voice. "I don't either."

"It's kind of funny, you know," Brennan said as she got up and went to lean against the desk, she couldn't seem to stay still. "I know that he probably won't have to leave but just the possibility that he might has made think. I knew that if he wasn't around I'd miss him; I mean, whenever he or I have got to go out of town by ourselves, I've missed him. But I hadn't realized just go much I would miss him if he left and I didn't know when he would be coming back."

"Oh, sweetie," Angela said when Brennan stopped talking. She had wanted Brennan to come to terms with what she felt for Booth, but she didn't like seeing her like this.

"I . . ." she trailed of again before saying in a voice that said she'd just realized something. "I need him, Angela. I hadn't realized just how much I depend on him – how much I need him to be there to bounce ideas of, to talk things out, to help guide me through social situations – to just _be_ there. He's my best friend," that was the second time Brennan had said that and Angela had to smile at her demotions from best friend. "He's person that's always there when I need someone – even when I don't even know that I need someone, he's there. What would I do if he wasn't?

"I've always been an independent person, Angela. This sudden need of someone else – I don't really like it." She declared. "No, what I don't like is the vulnerability that comes with it. Because, and this is the most surprising thing, I don't mind needing him because I know he'll be there. Except if he has to leave and then that's where I'm vulnerable and I don't like it." She said again. "Urgh," she cried out as she threw her arms into the air and walked to sit on the couch again. "See, I'm so confused. I don't know if I'm happy or sad; if I feel secure or vulnerable. God, my life used to be so simple. If I had a question I just had to study it logically and I'd get to the answer but this doesn't seem to have much logic to it."

Angela had to swallow her chuckle so as not to offend Brennan. When she felt she could talk normally, she said, "Sweetie, what you're feeling is perfectly normal."

"It is?" Brennan asked with hope in her voice.

"Yes, it is, sweetie," Angela said as she leaned to pat Brennan's leg. "You're in love with Booth."

"No, I'm . . ." Brennan started to deny the charge but Angela didn't even let her finish the sentence.

"Yes, you are," Angela insisted. "That confusion you feel? One minute you're happy and secure and the next you're scared and vulnerable? That's love, honey. You're happy because he makes you happy, because he understands you; he gets you and gives you what you need. You're secured because you know that he'll be there and he'll take care of you and you're scare and feel vulnerable because for the first time in a long time, you're not in complete control of things. For the first time in a long time, your happiness doesn't depend solely on you and though you know Booth would never do anything to purposefully hurt you, the possibility still exists that you could get hurt."

"I . . . I love him?" Brennan asked in a surprised and shaky voice.

"Yes," Angela answered her in a soft voice that nevertheless barely covered the laughter Angela felt rising. "I'm afraid you do. And if I'm not mistaken, you've loved him for a while now."

"Um," Brennan said as she thought about what Angela had just said. "So what do I do now?" She finally asked.

"I don't know," Angela answered. "What do you want to do?"

"I'm not sure; I'm not entirely convinced you're right, either." Brennan answered with a hint of defiance.

"Oh, I'm sure," Angela assured her. "You know, Bren, you're very lucky." Angela declared after a while.

"Why?" Brennan asked in a suspicious voice.

"Because most people don't realized what they have until they lose it but you've realized what you can have with Booth without losing it first. You have the chance of reaching out and taking your happiness and you should take it or you'll likely regret it afterwards." Angela said, thinking of Kirk and lost opportunities. No matter how happy she was with Hodgins now, she couldn't forget what Kirk had meant to her or stop regretting how it had ended.

Brennan knew that Angela was probably thinking of Kirk and chose to just nod her head and let her friend get her emotions back under control.

"Bren," Angela said after a few minutes of silence. "Can I give you some advice?"

"Of course, Angela," Brennan said. "That's why we're talking."

"Right," Angela smiled. "Well, I know that you're the kind of person that believes in taking the bull by the horns; who likes to go after what you want until you get it. And usually, that's a very good attitude but I think in this case you should wait."

"Wait?" Brennan asked. "Wait to do what?"

"Wait to go to his house and jump him; I think you should wait to do that," Angela told her bluntly.

"You're telling me to wait to 'jump him'?" Brennan asked incredulous. "You? The person that has been after me to 'get it on with him' since practically the day I met?"

"Yeah," Angela said with a small grimace. "I know, ironic, huh? But what you have with Booth is a good thing, Bren, it's the real thing. And with a little of work, it could last a long time. You don't want to wreck it by acting before you're ready – really ready."

"You don't think I'm ready?" Brennan asked. "You're the one that said I love him."

"Yes, and I stand by that." Angela affirmed. "But you're just starting to recognize what your feelings are, Bren, and while that's a good thing, I just don't think you're ready to act on them. You haven't really come to terms with them, yet. And until you do, you won't be ready to take the next step – not if you want the relationship to work out. Or do you think you're ready?"

"Well, I . . ." Brennan started to answer but couldn't finish.

"See, until you can say you're ready and mean it you won't be ready. Besides, I think Booth is traditional enough that he'll want to make the first move." Angela told her.

"Who's to say he'll want to make a move? We're talking like we know he'll want a romantic relationship with me if and when I'm ready. He might not feel the same thing, you know," Brennan argued, though it was just for argument's sake because she was fairly certain that he felt the same way.

Apparently Angela agreed if her response was any indication, "Oh, please, Bren. That man is head over heels in love with you; he's yours for the taking."

"Maybe," Brennan allowed. "Though, I'm not sure how right you are about him being a traditionalist. After all, he did tell me to let him know when I'm ready. That implies that I'll be making the first move, doesn't it?" She asked as Angela's mouth almost hit the floor.

"He what?!!" She shrieked. "When did he ask you that? And how come this is the first I hear about it? Have you guys already talked about this? When? Come on, Bren, give me details." She demanded without pausing for breath.

"Angela, calm down." Brennan told her as she watched her best friend almost jump up and down on the couch, like a little kid that has been told Christmas has come early. "It was during your anniversary dinner," she had to paused for Angela's squealed of "I knew it; I knew you two looked so cozy."

"We weren't cozy," Brennan denied. "We just had a talk where we alluded to the fact that there might be more to our relationship and that the time was coming to deal with that. And he asked that I'd let him know when that time came, that was all."

"That's all, she says," Angela told the ceiling. "Like that's not much. Bren, sweetie, that's huge. You guys already had the talk. I can't believe it; this is great. It's . . . Wait; my anniversary dinner was a few weeks ago. You had this conversation a few weeks ago?"

"Yes," Brennan answered as she went back to sit at her desk. The talk with Angela had helped her and now she felt centered enough to start working, though she knew she probably wouldn't get much done until Angela went back to her office.

"But how? Why?" Angela asked. "I mean, you just started talking about it – out of the blue? Who started it?" She wanted to know, more surprised that they've already talked about it than about what Brennan had learned yesterday.

"Come on, Angela. I'm not as oblivious as everyone thinks I am. I knew that there was something more between Booth and me; just as I knew that we'd have to deal with it soon. So," she finished with a shrug. "I talked to him about it."

"Ha," Angela said as she sat back on the couch, beyond surprised. "Well, if you knew then why are you having such a meltdown?"

"I'm not having a meltdown," Brennan denied. "I was just . . . I don't know, Ang," She said with a huff as she threw the pen she'd picked up back to the desk and leaned back on her chair. "Realizing that there was something more between us did not mean that I had any idea how much I . . . feel for him. Not until now, that is. I guess, I just," she shrugged again and concluded. "I guess I didn't really want to think too much about it before."

Angela nodded, for someone so intelligent and usually so intent on getting the facts, Brennan had a remarkable ability for denial. Not that Angela could really blame her; she still remembered how she felt when she realized she loved Hodgins, how scared she'd been and she'd been waiting to fall in love her whole life. She couldn't begin to understand how it must be for Brennan, who had ran from love most of her life.

"Bren, sweetie, I know love is a scary business but it is completely worth it. So, please give yourself the chance to found out, huh?" Angela entreated. "Just don't over think it but try and get used to the idea. And when you feel ready go to Booth."

"How will I know when I'm ready?" Brennan wanted to know.

"You just will," Angela assured her. "And if you don't, I'm sure Booth will. He always seems to know whatever's going on with you, doesn't he?"

Brennan gave a short laugh and had to agree with that. "That he does."

"Well," Angela said as she pushed up from the couch and got up. "I can see you're feeling better and are ready to go to work. So, I'll get out of your hair. But don't forget, we're leaving early today."

"What? Why?" Brennan asked, surprised, this was the first she'd heard about it.

Angela paused by the office door and informed her, "You think that whole part about you and Booth going to a dinner gala this Saturday slip by me? Nope, it didn't. We're leaving early and going shopping for a knock out dress for you to wear."

"But," Brennan started to protest, knowing it was useless. "I don't need a dress. I'm sure I have something appropriate I can wear."

"Um, I don't think so, sweetie. What you have may be appropriate for a job dinner but not for a date with FBI hottie. And don't bother telling me it's not a date, because it is."

"Booth said you'd drag me to buy a new dress," Brennan commented.

"That's because our Booth is a very smart man," Angela said.

"It's not fair, you know." Brennan complained. "I don't see why I have to be dragged to the mall when Booth doesn't have to do anything."

"Well, that's because he probably already has a tux," Angela responded as she started to walk away.

"No," Brennan disagreed distractedly as she turned back to her computer. "He said he'll be wearing his dress uniform."

Angela had already crossed the threshold but that comment brought her back. "Booth is going to be wearing his dress uniform?" She asked in something close to a shriek.

"Yes," Brennan answered slowly as she looked up from her computer. "Why?"

"Oh, honey, I think that you're going to need my help getting ready this Saturday," she announced with an unholy gleam in her eyes.

"I am?" Brennan asked, curiously.

"Yes, you are. There's no way I'm going to miss seeing Booth in his uniform," Angela declared as she started to walk away again.

"Hey, aren't you married?" Brennan yelled after her with a smile.

"Yes, but that doesn't mean I'm blind," Angela yelled back making Brennan's smile grow as she began the day's work.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer:** Nope, neither Bones nor SG1 are mine.

**A/N: **Here's chapter 3. I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I apologized for any grammatical errors; I' m trying my best to catch them but . . . If anyone would like to help me by being my beta please let me know. If anyone's interested, I found the dresses Bones and Sam wear on the Neiman Marcus website - spent an enjoyable half hour deciding which dress to use, actually. What else? Except for thanking those that have review, I think that's it. Enjoy . . .

**Chapter 3**

"Ok, sweetie," Angela said as she stepped back and admired her handiwork. "You're ready."

Brennan looked in the mirror and asked, "Are you sure? I mean, isn't it a little too revealing?"

She was wearing a pleated style gown in navy chiffon with a V neckline; halter straps that tied behind the neck; an open back; a gathered, banded waist and a full skirt. It was a gorgeous dress and though it was somewhat more revealing and sexier than her usual style, it was still elegant and sophisticated and completely appropriate for the evening.

"No, it is not too revealing. It's perfect and you look beautiful in it. Actually, you look beautiful period – I don't think I've ever seen you look better." Angela said with a smile and a wink. "You're gonna knock Booth's socks off." She predicted.

Brennan frowned and asked, "Why would I want to knock Booth's socks off? He's going to . . ."

"Figure of speech, Bren." Angela interrupted before Brennan could really get into it. "It's just a figure of speech."

"Oh," Brennan said but her attention had gone back to the mirror. "You think my hair looks good up?" she asked as she put a hand up to tuck an invisible strand back into the soft chignon Angela had created.

Angela pulled the hand down and told her, "It looks fine, Bren. Relax, will you? I already told you – you look beautiful." Angela had never known Brennan to be as uptight and nervous as she was that night.

"Ok, thanks," Brennan said as she brushed some of the loose strands that Angela had let curl around her face and nape and then ran a finger across the choker Angela had insisted she buy for the occasion.

Angela looked at her watch and said, "He should be here any minute now."

Brennan turned to look at the clock on her nightstand and agreed, "Yes, he should."

"Do you have everything you need? Your purse, wrap, everything?" Angela asked making sure that Brennan was ready to go.

"Yes, I have everything," Brennan said as she picked up her new purse: a small, blue navy satin clutch that only held her wallet, keys and cell phone but which matched her shoes: a pair of sling backs, with round open toe, pleated front, open inner arch and matching satin wrapped 4 inch stiletto heels.

She also picked up her chiffon wrap and after placing it around her shoulders told Angela, "This thing won't keep me warm at all."

"Then aren't you lucky that it's supposed to be warm tonight? Beside, it's not supposed to keep you warm," Angela told her as she took the wrap from around Brennan's shoulders and placed it on the crook of her elbows instead. "It's just supposed to punch up the outfit. And if you do get cold, you always have Booth to warm you up." She suggested with a leer, which Brennan ignored in favor of making sure her cell was in her purse.

"Ok sweetie, when he gets here I want you to let me answer the door and wait in here until I called you out, ok?" Angela instructed Brennan as she rubbed her hands and looked as if she was planning to launch a military attack.

Brennan looked up after closing her purse and asked, "Why? I'm ready to go, I can answer the door myself and we could be on our way."

"No, no, no." Angela shook her head to emphasize the negative. "No, you're staying her until I call you out, get it?"

"But Angela," Brennan started to protest but Angela didn't let her finish.

"No buts, sweetie. It's call making an entrance and you're going to do just that, you hear me?" She said in a voice and with a face that experience had taught Brennan was useless to fight.

Not really in the mood to fight, she gave in, "Ok, Angela. Whatever you say."

Just then the door bell rang, "Ok, stay here until I call you," Angela told her once again before leaving the room and going to answer the door.

A few seconds later she opened the door and for a moment she forgot what she had planned to say. To say that Booth looked good in his dress uniform would be an understatement.

"Hello, Angela," Booth greeted her when she just stared at him without saying anything. "You think I can come in?"

"Um?" Angela asked before she shook her head to clear it and said, "Of course, come in, come in." She invited him and opened the door wider to let him in.

"Thanks," he walked in and looked around, "Is Bones ready?"

"Yes, she'd be out in a minute," as Angela turned to close the door, she found that Hodgins had arrived.

"Hi, honey," he said as he walked in and kissed Angela.

"Hi," Angela told him as she kissed him back.

"Am I early?" he asked and then turned to greet Booth who returned the greeting.

"No, you're just fine. Booth just got here and I was just about to call Bren." She then walked towards the bedroom and call out, "Brenn, are you ready? Booth's here."

"Yes, Angela," Brennan responded, dutifully following Angela's script though she did roll her eyes as she opened the bedroom door. "I'll be right out."

"So, what are you doing here?" Booth was asking them.

"Oh, I was helping Bren get ready and Hodgins is my ride home," Angela explained. She and Brennan had spent the day together and Angela didn't have a car with her.

Brennan came into the living room then and said, "Hi, Booth." While Booth and Hodgins turned toward Brennan to greet her, Angela kept her eyes on Booth and Hodgins wanting to see their reactions. She wasn't disappointed, when Hodgins got a good look at Brennan, his mouth open in a silent wow. But it was Booth's and Brennan's reactions that thrilled the artist.

As soon as they saw each other, the rest of the room ceased to exist and they only had eyes for the other. Each was meticulously examined from head to toe by the other and only when they were certain to have made a complete survey of the other's body, did they lock eyes with one another. Their admiration and approval of the other's look was visible in their eyes and Angela was sure they would have gone on staring at one another if Hodgins hadn't broken the silence. "Wow, Brennan, you look h. . ." he started to say hot but with a quick look at Booth, who looked quite intimidating in his uniform, changed the word to "Beautiful. You look really beautiful."

"Yes, Bones," Booth agreed with a small smile that started on his mouth and ended in his eyes. "You look . . ." He shook his head as he once again looked her up and down and finished the compliment on a sigh, "Amazing, absolutely breathtaking."

Angela was amazed to see that Brennan actually blushed at the look on Booth's eyes, but like always, she recovered fairly quickly and returned the compliment. "You look quite incredible yourself, Booth." She said with a smile. "Very dashing in a heroic kind of way," she added with a wave at the medals that adorned Booth's chest.

And Angela was surprised to see that Brennan was not the only one to blush that night. She looked at Hodgins to see if he'd noticed anything and by the look on his face, he had. He turned his head at that moment and they shared a smiled at the behavior of the other couple.

"Thanks, Bones," Booth said then he cleared his throat and clapped his hands and added, "We should be going, huh? We don't want to be late."

Brennan agreed and after saying good-bye to Angela (who told her to relax and have a good time) and Hodgins, they were off to the gala.

A couple of hours later, Brennan and Booth were finishing dinner. The food had been good and the company had been fairly entertaining. They had been seated at a table with Booth's ex-CO and a few of his friends from his unit and the stories they've told have made the time passed painlessly. Even Booth seemed to have had a good time, Brennan thought as she turned to look at him and found him laughing at something Col. Saunders had said.

A few minutes later, Brennan leaned in and told Booth, "I'm going to the bathroom. I'll be back in a minute."

Booth nodded to let her know he'd heard her and she got up and left the dinning room. As she left the lady's room a few moments later, she saw a waiter and an airman deep in discussion a little further down the corridor. She figured the waiter was giving the airman directions and by the time she walked back into the dinning room, she had already forgotten all about it.

After she entered the room, Brennan looked around and decided to go get something to drink before returning to the table. She went to the bar, it was an open bar and one of the few good things about these things according to Booth, and asked for a glass of white wine. When she received the glass, she turned around and stood there observing the people milling around the room. It was a rare opportunity for the anthropologist to study this type of ceremony up close and personal and she planned to take advantage of it.

She leaned an elbow on the bar behind her and took a sip of her wine as a tall blonde walked up and asked for a glass of red wine. She was wearing a light blue dress with a V neckline; knotted detail on the front and an asymmetric hem with gathered front and was more than likely the wife of a high ranking officer.

As she waited for her drink, she turned and with a smile, greeted Brennan, "Hi, my name is Sam."

Brennan, hearing Booth's voice in her mind, smiled back and said, "Hello, I'm temperance."

Sam received her glass and took a sip of her drink and as she noticed Brennan studying the room, asked, "Admiring all the men in uniform?"

"Um," Brennan said non-committal.

"Impressive, aren't they?" Sam asked again as she too turned and started to study the room.

"Hum," Brennan said again; and then she forgot all of Booth's coaching and said what was in her mind. "Actually, I was thinking that regardless of how advanced a society is there are still some anthropological traits that are shared with the less advanced cultures and even with the animal kingdom."

"Ah," Sam said as she studied the other woman more closely. "What do you mean?" She asked curious to see what she had in mind.

"Well," Brennan took another drink of her glass and prepared to go into lecture mode, "take this gathering, for instance. Though it's for a good cause, it by its very nature brings together a lot of powerful men – some might arguably say some of the most powerful men in the country. As such, most of them have alpha personalities and, like all alphas when they come together, they have found ways to differentiate each other – ways to show that who's higher in the hierarchy and who's at the same level. In the animal kingdom, the older, more powerful males tend to have bigger, more colorful feathers or manes – take for instance the peacock or the lion. And the same is true in less advanced cultures – the chiefs are usually adorned with colorful feathers or skins.

"In more advance cultures, with the exception of kingdoms where kings and queens are still elaborately decorated, the adornments of leaders are less ornate but are present nonetheless. One example is the insignia and medals that the high ranking officers of the military wear to show their place in the hierarchy and their prowess in battle."

"Well," Sam said she slowly brought her glass down when Brennan finished speaking. "I've never thought of it that way."

When she heard the almost bewildered tone in Sam's voice, Brennan realized that she had once again gone off in an anthropological rant as Booth called them. She hurried to apologize and maybe salvaged the situation so that she could go back and tell Booth that she'd had a pleasant conversation with a stranger without his help. "I'm sorry; I didn't mean to go on about it. It's just that I'm an anthropologist and I can't help but see this type of social situation through that perspective but I didn't really mean to bore you with a dissertation on the subject."

"Oh, no, please don't apologize." Sam said with a kind smile. "You didn't bore me, really. In fact, I think that was about the most intelligent comment I've heard all night."

Brennan returned the smile and said, "My partner is always going on about how I can't maintain a conversation without bringing science into it. He says that I need to get out of the lab more often; that spending too much time cooped up in it is what has atrophied my ability to make normal conversation."

Sam laughed at that comment and commiserated, "He's probably always after you to go out and get a life, how there's more to life than work and how the world won't end if you take some time off, isn't he?"

"Have you met Booth?" Brennan asked surprised at how accurately the other woman summed up Booth's arguments.

"Booth's your partner, I take it?" She asked and at Temperance nod, she went on. "No, I haven't met him but I've been ran out of my own lab quite often in my day."

"Oh," Brennan said, suddenly more interested in the woman than she'd been before. "Are you a scientist too?"

"Yes," Sam affirmed after she took another sip. "I'm a doctor of theoretical astrophysicist."

"Then what are you doing here?" Brennan asked bluntly but at Sam's chuckle, she amended, "If you don't mind my asking."

"No, I don't," Sam said with a grin. "My husband is one of those alpha personalities you mentioned." She explained with a wave of her hand at the men in the room.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Brennan started to apologized. "I haven't realized . . ." She said even as silently berated herself for not listening to Booth.

"Don't worry about it," Sam graciously told her. "It's a fascinating analogy but I just never would have thought about it that way."

"I'm sure not too many people would have," Brennan agreed. "It's one of the hazards of being an anthropologist. I tend to study and analyze these functions and end up being an observer instead of a participant." She confessed with a shake of her head. "And that leads to this type of awkward moments." She added with a small self-deprecating smile.

"Don't worry about it, really," Sam repeated. "I've been there myself. Sometimes I get so caught in a thought that I forget who I'm talking to and start babbling techno-babble." She confessed with a small laugh. "It's certainly easier being in the lab, isn't it?"

"Yes, it is." Brennan agreed, thinking that she liked how the other woman thought.

"I wonder," Sam said after a few moments of silence where both women drank their wine. "If you thesis could be used in any work environment."

"Um," Brennan thought about it as she brought her glass down. "I don't see why not. I guess we'd just have to find out how each environment quantifies success and then . . ."

"Bones, there you are!!" Booth called from behind Brennan.

Brennan turned around, surprised and asked, "Booth, what are you doing here?"

"Bones," Booth patiently said as he walked to stand next to her. "You left for the bathroom a while back and I was worried something may have happen . . ."

"Booth, I am perfectly capable of going to the rest room by myself," Brennan interrupted him.

"I don't know about that," Booth denied. "But here I am, looking for you and what do I find? I mean, I turn my back for a minute and there you are talking science again. Haven't we talked about you not doing that so much anymore?" Booth asked with a grin.

Brennan opened her mouth to argue but Sam's laugh stopped her. "I take it this is Booth, the partner?" She asked Brennan, smiling.

"Yes," Brennan answered and then realized that they haven't been introduced. "Oh, I'm sorry," she turned to Booth and said "Booth, this is Dr. Sam . . ." she trailed off and looked at Sam in question.

"Dr. Sam O'Neill," Sam responded with a smile as she extended her hand to Booth.

"Seeley Booth," Booth said as he shook her hand and then turned to Bones and with a grin said, "Bones, only you can come into a room full of military officers and find what's probably the only other scientist here."

"Actually," Sam said with another soft laugh before Brennan could think of a retort, "I found her. But tell me, how does an anthropologist end up being partners with an Army Ranger?" She asked Brennan when Booth turned to ask for a drink.

"Oh, Booth is not in active duty right now. He's an FBI special agent and I'm actually a forensic anthropologist. We work identifying bodies that can't be identified by conventional means."

Sam nodded her head and then something seemed to click, "You are Dr. Temperance Brennan. You're the FBI team that discovered that cover up involving Director Kirby."

"Yes, that was us," Booth, who had already received his drink and turned back to them, answered.

"You also write books," Sam continued, looking at Brennan who nodded in the affirmative. "I just finished reading your second one a few weeks ago. It was very engaging; I really liked it."

"Thanks," Temperance said and Booth was amused to find that she could still blush at a compliment.

"One of my best friends is an anthropologist too, well, he's also an archeologist and linguist, but that's not here nor there," Sam dismissed that little fact with a wave of her hand and Booth had the thought that Bones might have just found another team of super squints.

"He says you're brilliant and at the top of your field and has in fact referenced your work a couple of times," Sam finished.

"Thank you," Temperance said much more comfortable receiving compliments about her academic writings than her novels. "What's his name? Maybe I've heard of him," she asked as the academic world wasn't that big.

"I don't think so," Sam denied. "He hasn't been published in more than ten years but his name is Dr. Daniel Jackson."

The name rang a bell in Temperance's mind and it was a few moments before she made the connection, "Oh, wasn't he the one that had that theory about the Egyptian pyramids being landing sites for spaceships?"

"Umm," Sam said as she took another sip of her drink. She hated this part – having to hear the ridicule without being able to tell them that Daniel had it more right than they could ever possibly comprehend.

Thankfully, she was saved from having to making further comment by a voice calling out, "Samantha, I hope you're not talking science. We agreed that there would be no techno babble this weekend." Both Sam and Booth grinned at the similarity to Booth's greeting as a tall, distinguished older man in uniform said with a grin as he walked up to Sam. He was obviously her husband as he immediately put his arm around her waist and she relaxed into his embrace. "No, Jack. I haven't used techno-babble once tonight." Sam said with a smile of her own.

"Good," he nodded and then turned to look at Booth and Brennan. If Booth had looked dashingly heroic in his uniform, this man looked dauntingly heroic in his. He was at least ten years older than Sam, but he was still a handsome man that looked fit enough to take on men half his age. He carried his power and authority as easily as most men carried their briefcases; the row of medals on his chest put Booth's to shame and if Brennan's theory was right, he was one of the most powerful men in the room.

He was one of the most commanding examples of an alpha male Brennan had ever encountered, including Booth. Though there was something about him, about the way he carried himself, the way he scanned the room and held his body as if poised for action that reminded Brennan of Booth. In a flash of insight, Brennan realized that that was what Booth would be like in a few years.

"So Sam, who are your new friends?" He asked.

"Jack," Sam said as she waved her hand in Brennan's direction, "This is Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"A pleasure," Jack said as he shook Brennan's hand. "A medical doctor?"

"No, forensic anthropologist," Brennan answered as they finished their hand shake.

Jack made a small grimace and said, "Ah, another egghead."

"Jack!" Sam admonished. "What?" He asked innocently, "I'm just saying."

Though Booth had straightened as soon as he noticed the other man's rank, he couldn't stop the chuckle and comment that followed. "I usually use 'squint' myself."

"Squint?" Jack asked, curious and very interested.

"Yes, you know, because they're always squinting at books, computer screens, papers. etc." Booth answered with a wave of his hand and despite the glare Brennan was giving him.

"Nice," Jack said nodding his head. "I like it. I think that'd work great on Daniel, don't you Sam?"

"Jack, don't you think you have enough nicknames for Daniel already?" She asked somewhat exasperatedly.

"Nope," he answered firmly. "There can never be enough nicknames for the space-monkey."

"Whatever you say, Jack." Sam said resignedly and then with a wave of her hand towards Booth, she continued the introductions, "Well, this is Major Booth. Booth, Temperance, this is my husband General Jack O'Neill."

As soon as he heard the name, Booth snapped to attention and performed a book perfect salute, "General, sir."

At the instant salute, Jack 'squinted' at Booth and studied him closer. His eyes went from Booth's Ranger insignia to his eyes and in them Jack saw that unlike a lot of men in the room, Booth was a soldier who had seen combat and who had had to things not everyone could do. He could also see that Booth had a very good idea of what Jack had been called to do in the name of duty and because of that he did something he didn't always do: he returned the salute, "Major."

The salute was perfectly executed and had Sam's eyebrows rising in surprise. Booth then extended his hand and said, "It's an honor to meet you, sir." The sincerity in his voice had Brennan's eyebrows rising; she knew that Booth respected every person in uniform but genuine admiration was something that she had rarely heard before.

"Dr. Brennan is the author of those bones books you liked so much," Sam told her husband after the introductions had been made.

"The bones books?" Jack asked and then he realized what Sam was talking about, "Oh, the books that Daniel recommended?" At Sam's nod, he continued, "Really? Well they're pretty good. I really liked them," he told Brennan who nodded at the compliment. "You must be pretty good at your job for Daniel to admire your work so much."

Brennan nodded her thanks yet again and if she wondered why a disgraced academic's opinion mattered so much to an Air Force General, she had learned enough from Booth to keep the question silent.

"Temperance was just telling me," Sam started to tell her husband, "about the anthropological significance of this type of events."

"Really?" Jack asked skeptically as she turned to look around the room. "These things have anthropological significance?"

Booth laughed as he finished his drink, "Believe me, General, I don't think Bones here has encountered a social event that hasn't had some anthropological significance."

Jack grinned and said, "Well, I really don't see what significance this shindig can have except be an excuse for all these political types and military bigwigs to stand around hearing themselves talk."

Booth nodded his agreement and Brennan told Sam, "At least you don't have to work with them. I find working with the FBI bad enough but having to deal with military types everyday would be too much. They'd probably have less respect for science and scientists than the FBI does."

While Booths hissed, "Bones, for God's sake, he's a General," Jack grinned widely and asked an amused looking Sam, "Honey, did you forget to introduce yourself?" He then turned to Bones and Booth and said, "Let me properly introduce my wife: Lt Colonel Samantha Carter."

Booth again snapped to attention and saluted her, "ma'am", while thinking 'oh, crap!'.

Bones, however, asked her somewhat accusingly, "I though your name was Sam O'Neill?"

"It is," Sam affirmed. "My civilian name; my full name is Dr. Lt. Colonel Samantha Cater-O'Neill. I just find it easier to go by Sam O'Neill when I'm in this type of events as Jack's wife and not as an Air Force officer."

Before Brennan could respond or Jack make a smart ass remark, a boom was heard throughout the dinning room, paralizing everyone for one second as they all turned their attention to the back of the building and wondered what had happened.


	4. Chapter 4

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **They're not mine though the plot (and there's acutally one in this one) is as well as the victims, I came up with them all by myself.

**A/N: **As you requested the bodies are found, SG1 finally makes an appearence, Vala has a scene with Jack and I'm actually advancing the plot, yeh! Also this was supposed to be out earlier today as you all so nicely asked for a fast update and I actually promised I'd post it today, but I had to take my grandma to the doctor (sometimes life gets in the way, I sincerely apologize for that but what can one do?) and couldn't post it before but did make it :) I hope the description of the scene where the bodies are found is ok, setting up scenes is not my forte but just imagine a huge bomb going off. Finally, I want to thank each and everyone that has taken the time to review, I know everyone says it but it does mean a lot; I've tried to reply to everyone and I apologize if I overlooked someone. I'm very glad that you're liking this story so much, it's been in my head for a while and I almost didn't write it but I'm so glad I did - I think this is my second most reviewed story; I had no idea so many people liked both Bones and SG1. Well, without further ado, the story...

**Chapter 4**

In the seconds that followed the explosion, Brennan had a first row seat to see why the men and women in the room were some of the best and brightest of the country. As one, the military personnel in the room adopted defensive stances before the civilians closest to them, the officers closest to the door on the side from where the sound came went out to investigate and the Secret Service personnel that had been unobtrusively standing on the edges, rushed to their high profile charges and hurried them to the other exit.

As Brennan swept her gaze through the room, she noticed that a surprising number of officers had guns in their hands, including Booth, General O'Neill and Sam – where she'd kept a gun wearing that dress was anyone's guess. And as Booth turned to leave, she asked what was probably the most ill-timed question of her life, "Booth, how come she gets a gun?"

Booth turned to look at her with a face that screamed 'you're asking that _now_!' He, nevertheless, answered her, "Because, Bones, she's a Lt Colonel in the Air Force! Now, stay here. I'm going to go see what's going."

She wanted to protest and ask to go along but knew it was futile so she settled for nodding and saying, "Be careful." He nodded back and as he steeped away, she called as she thought of something, "Hey, Booth. Should I call the police?"

Booth barely took the time to turn around as he shrugged and said, "Go ahead but this is a federal building and under FBI jurisdiction."

She nodded again and as she turned back to Sam and Gen. O'Neill, she heard Sam say, "Jack, be careful." Jack nodded and after giving her a brief kiss, told her, "Always." With that, he turned away and hurried after Booth. Apparently, he'd won the argument he'd been having with his Secret Service escort; but as two agents followed him, he'd lost the part about all of the agents staying behind with Sam.

As both women watched the men ran out of the room, Sam asked, "Is not easy, is it?"

"Um?" Brennan asked as she once again turned toward the other woman.

"Seeing them go off to confront who knows what and not being able to go with them to watch their backs." Sam explained as she brought her gaze to Brennan's after Jack walked out the doors.

"No, it's not," Brennan nodded. "How come you're not going?" She asked because not only did Sam have a gun and was obviously trained for these type of situations but also because she didn't look like the type of woman who'd stay behind while her husband went out to fight.

Sam grimaced and motioned to the way she was dressed. "This dress and heels are not conductive to running around. I'll do it if I have to but if I don't . . ." She trailed off with a shrug of her shoulders to show her resignation to the situation.

Brennan nodded as that was one of the reasons why she hadn't argued to go with Booth. But then she thought of something else: she didn't know much about the military, but she was sure that a general was more apt to send people out to fight than to go and do the fighting himself. And since Sam had sounded like she'd had lots of experience seeing her husband go off to fight, she wondered how long Sam and the general had been married. Brennan, being Brennan, went ahead and asked, "How long have you been married?"

Sam looked surprised at the question but answered easily enough, "Six months. Why?"

Brennan shrugged her shoulders and said, "You just seemed to have a lot of experience seeing him go and staying behind."

Sam took a sip of her drink with a thoughtful look on her face and then said, "Jack was my unit CO and I was his 2nd for seven years, then he was the base CO and finally he was promoted to department head. I have been right there with him whenever he's faced any danger for most of the time we've known each other and after his promotion it was him that had to watch me go off without him. But," she took another quick sip, "yes, lately I've gained some experience in staying behind while he goes off." Her gaze turned inward and she looked to be reliving some not too pleasant memories.

"But he's a general," Brennan couldn't stop the observation. "Don't they usually stay behind doing paperwork?"

"Yes, usually," Sam answered with a nod. "But Jack is not your usual general. His experience, willingness and superb physical condition mean that he can have his pick of missions if he wants. And he usually wants," she concluded with a resigned shrug; she may not like it but like Vala told her, she dealt with it because that was who Jack was.

Sam then shook her head as if to rid herself of bad memories and asked Brennan, "How about you? You must also be used to seeing Booth go off into dangerous situation while you stay behind."

"Actually, no," Brennan answered. "In all the time we've been partners, I've only stayed behind a handful of times."

"Really?" Sam asked, interested, thinking that there was much more to the pretty doctor than met the eye. "How do you manage that without being FBI?"

"It was part of our deal," Brennan answered simply. "50/50, equal partnership. I didn't want to do lab work only but also be allowed in the field."

"And the FBI just acceded to your . . . request?" Sam chose to be diplomatic and use 'request', though she had a feeling it had more likely been a demand.

Brennan shrugged and answered matter-of fact, "I'm very good at what I do." And then she grinned mischievously as she brought her glass toward her mouth, "Of course, it also helped that the next forensic anthropologist lives in Montreal."

Sam laughed and raised her own glass in a silent toast. The light moment was interrupted when one of the agents that had followed Jack came back and told Sam, "Ma'am, the general asks that you and the Doctor," and he mentioned to Brennan, "come out to the scene."

Sam nodded, knowing full well that Jack hadn't so much asked as ordered that they go. She looked at Brennan and after waving her forward, they both walked out following the agent.

A few moments later, they entered the men's rest room and Brennan was reminded of the two men she had seen earlier but as she saw the damage the vague memory slipped away. To say that it was a mess would be a vast understatement; the floor was completely flooded from the sink and urinals that had been blown off in the explosion as well as the sprinkles that had thankfully been turned off. The stall doors had likewise been blown off and they like the walls and the ceiling were charred. There were also two bodies against two walls directly across from each other where the explosion had apparently thrown them. The remains like the walls and ceiling were charred beyond recognition and it was obvious Brennan's services would be needed.

Both Sam and Brennan had sighed and picked up their dresses when they saw the water. Before venturing into the restroom, Brennan shook her head and thought 'there goes the new shoes' and she was careful to keep her dress beyond the reach of the water because as hard a time as she gave Angela before buying it, she really did love the dress and the look Booth had given her when he saw her in it. . .

She walked carefully towards the closest body as Booth asked her, "What can you tell me, Bones?"

She observed the body carefully and told Booth, "Male, Caucasian, in his early 30's. Cause of death could be the explosion, the fire or the impact with the wall – impossible to say before we analyze it in the lab." She tilted her head to get a different angle and added, "I think he may have been wearing a uniform," she shook her head and continued. "But again, without further analyzes it is impossible to tell."

Booth steeped closer and leaned over the body, without regard to the damage that it caused to his uniform and Brennan thought that he paid more attention to his suits. "I don't see dog tags."

"What does that mean?" Brennan asked him. "He's not military?"

Booth sighed as he stood up, "At least not active," he responded and waved at the other body, "What about him?"

Brennan hiked up her dress a bit more and carefully made her way to the other body. She tilted her head and said, "Male, mixed race. Impossible to determine cause of death." And then she trailed off.

A few seconds later, Booth looked up from where he'd been jotting down the information Brennan had been giving him in a little notebook that he produced from nowhere and asked, "Age?"

Brennan turned back to Booth and in a perplexed voice told him, "I'm not sure."

Booth let his hand fall down as he asked, "You're not sure? But age is one of the first things you're able to determine when you have visual access to the whole body – and you do." He added with a wave of his hand.

"I know," Brennan nodded as she turned back to study the body again. "But all the bone markers indicate that he was over a hundred years old."

"Over a hundred?!" asked Booth in surprised.

"Well over," Brennan emphasized.

"But, but he doesn't look . . ." Booth protested.

"I know," Brennan nodded again. "His overall bone structure and appearance indicate that he was in his thirties. It may be that he suffered from some genetic disorder. I won't know more until I get him to the lab." She concluded.

Jack and Sam, who had been standing by the door observing the doctor work, snapped to attention when they heard Brennan say one of the victims could be over a hundred years old. They shared an alarmed look and Jack started forward to study the body closer and see if he could prove or disprove their disturbing theory.

The partners were so involved in their discussion that they didn't pay attention to the moving general. However, when they saw the older man nudged the body with his foot and then hunched down and picked up something from beneath the body with a handkerchief, Brennan started forward saying, "Don't touch . . ."

Booth stopped her by placing a hand on her arm a squeezing a warning. Brennan turned to him with eyes blazing and hissed, "Booth, he's touching my bones."

"I know, Bones. But let me, ok?" He squeezed her arm again and with a final warning in his eyes, he stepped towards the bent general and said, "Sir, with respect, this is a crime scene and you shouldn't be picking up evidence."

Jack sighed and as he stood up, he turned his head and met Sam's eyes, whose own eyes widened when she saw what Jack held. He closed his fist and the handkerchief completely hid the object from sight. With another sigh, he then turned to look at Booth. He didn't like what he was going to have to do, but he had no choice. "Major," he began.

But Booth interrupted him, "Special Agent." He corrected him.

The interruption made Jack paused for a minute. He was not used to being interrupted; with the exception of the original SG1, no one dared anymore. "Special Agent," Jack amended, looking closer into the younger man's eyes and confirming his earlier opinion – this was not a man to take lightly. "I'm sorry to tell you, but this has now become an Air Force matter."

"With all due respect," Booth said again and Brennan rolled her eyes at Booth's continue courtesy; the man was messing with their crime scene, if it was up to her, she would have already taken away whatever it was he'd picked up. "This is a civilian manner and a federal building – that means this is an FBI manner." Booth argued.

But Jack was shaking his head before Booth had finished talking. "I'm sorry, Ma . . . Special Agent. I'm afraid I'm going to have to insist."

"Sir," Booth continued and by his tone, Brennan could tell his patience and courtesy were beginning to be strained – 'about time,' she thought. "I understand that . . ."

"No, I very much doubt you do," Jack interrupted him.

Booth sighed and bluntly said, "I can call the director." Though he knew that wasn't much of a threat, the other man was a two star general after all.

"Yes, you could do that," Jack agreed. "But it wouldn't get you anywhere."

Booth knew that but he wasn't ready to give up, "Sir,"

"Major," Jack snapped using his general voice; he didn't want to do it but he didn't have time to stand around discussing jurisdiction. The soldier in Booth couldn't help but respond to the command in Jack's voice and he promptly shut up and snapped to attention. "This is now a matter of national security, which makes it my jurisdiction. Any information from this point on is on a need to know basis and since you don't need to know," Jack trailed off but Booth got the point. He was being asked to clear the scene.

"Yes, sir," Booth grudgingly acknowledge. With a curt nod, he clicked his heels and turned about. He walked towards Brennan, who had been watching the exchange silently but who looked more than ready to make a comment, took her arm and before she could said whatever was on her mind, told her, "Come on, Bones. Let's go."

"But, Booth, my bones," she started to protest but Booth wouldn't let her talk and using his hold on her arm, propelled her towards the door. As they were leaving, Booth heard the general ordered his wife, "Carter, call the SGC and tell them we're going to need medical transport and someone to process the scene."

Sam nodded and asked as she took her cell phone out, "Jack, is that . . .?"

"Yeah," Jack answered with a tire sigh.

"What is that doing here?" she wanted to know as she waited to be connected.

"I don't know, Sam. That's what we have to find out." Jack answered. He started to say something else but Booth and Brennan were already outside and Booth couldn't make out what it was.

A few feet from the rest room, Brennan finally freed herself and letting her dress fall down, she turned to Booth and with her hands on her hips, demanded, "What the hell are you doing? Why did you leave them alone with the bones? They could seriously compromise our crime scene, Booth!! We need to go back in there and . . ."

"Bones," Booth interrupted her before she could get into the rant. "Didn't you hear the general? That is no longer _our_ crime scene." He sounded tired and resigned but also pissed off.

"Yes, I heard him," Brennan answered him. "But what I don't understand is why you're letting him ordered you about. You're no longer in the military, Booth," she informed him.

"I know that, Bones," he told her exasperatedly.

"Well, then. This is a civilian manner and you're the civilian policy – he has no authority to order either you or me. I don't understand why you just meekly left him there with my bones . . ."

"I didn't _meekly_ left," Booth protested through his teeth as he raked his fingers through his hair. He was already beyond frustrated and Brennan's attitude wasn't helping.

"Yes, you did." Brennan argued, nodding her head for emphasis. "And anyway, he's Air Force, isn't he? You were Army; I don't see why you have to listen to him."

"When a two star general tells you something," Booth explained in an overly patient tone. "It doesn't really matter whether he's from your branch of the service or not. You just do what he tells you."

"I don't see why," She insisted. "And why can't you call Cullen and tell him to talk to someone and get them to give us back the case?" She wanted to know.

Booth sighed again and said, "It wouldn't matter, Bones."

"Why not?" she wanted to know.

"Because it wouldn't." He answered but seeing her face, he decided to elaborate. "Look, say I call Cullen and Cullen calls his supervisor and that supervisor talks to the Attorney General and say the Attorney General decides to go to bat for us, which by the way is a huge if, he would go to the Joint Chiefs (of which I'm pretty sure General O'Neill is one of) and the Chiefs would tell him it's a matter of national security. They might even get the President's backing and we would be right where we are right now: nowhere."

He paused and took several deep breaths to calm down and then said, "Bones, when a two star general who happens to be one of the Joint Chiefs tells you that a crime is a matter of national security and that it no longer falls under your jurisdiction but rather his, you listen to him. We wouldn't gain anything trying to fight this because at the end of the day, he's the one that would make any type of final decision on this case, anyway. We just have to let it go."

"But, Booth, those bones . . . I . . ." she trailed off, frustrated. She turned to look back at the rest room door and with a sigh that ruffled her hair, told Booth, "I don't like this." She then turned back to him and repeated just in case he hadn't gotten it the first time. "I really don't like this, Booth."

"I know, Bones, neither do I." He agreed as he threw an arm over her shoulders and gave her a half hug. "But there's really nothing we can do. What do you say we skipped the rest of this party,"

She snorted and said, "I don't think that many people stayed, Booth."

"You're probably right." He agreed as he started guiding her back to the dinning room to retrieve her purse and wrap. "I don't know about you but I'm still hungry. Why don't we pick up something and go to your place to eat?"

Brennan gave a last look at the rest room and then forced herself to let it go. She turned to look at him and with a grin asked, "Thai?"

-----------------------------

Sunday morning dawned beautiful in Colorado Springs. It was crisp, bright, the birds were signing; unfortunately Jack O'Neill (with two l's) could not enjoyed it as he was stuck in the bowels of the Cheyenne Mountain Complex instead of spending it with his wife, so he'd rather think that it was storming outside. No, on the second thought he rather not think that either as that made think about a lazy weekend spent in bed with his wife. Jack scrubbed his hands through his hair as he fought to bring his thoughts back to his job and out of the gutter.

Then he heard steps coming up the metal stairs towards the conference room and he turned his gaze that way, hoping for a distraction. He grinned when he saw Vala strutted into the room.

"General Jack!" she called with her arms open as she walked toward the conference table. "Good morning," she told him as she took a seat to Jack's left, knowing Sam would sit at his right.

"Morning, Vala. How're you doing? Jack asked with a grin.

"I'm fine," Vala answered as she leaned back in the chair and crossed her hands across her stomach. "So, I heard that you had a very boring time last night. Absolutely tame." She said ironically and added a nod for emphasis.

Jack gave a sardonic smile. "Yes, an incredible tedious time. It was all I could to stay awake." He gave a small nod and a sad sigh at the end.

"That wouldn't have happened if you had invited me. I would have made sure you were entertained." She assured him in her most earnest voice.

"Oh, I know, believe me." Jack agreed. "And I was going to invite you guys to come along."

"Why didn't you?" Vala asked as she leaned forward and put her elbows on the table. She had started it as a joke but the truth was that she would have liked to go; even though she now lived outside the base with Daniel, she still didn't get many chances to go out, especially to a gala because even though Daniel was the love of her life there was no denying that the life of the party he wasn't.

Jack shrugged and said, "Sam said that I just wanted everyone to be miserable because I was going to be."

"Hum," Vala said with a small pout. "Well, I wouldn't have been miserable."

Jack laughed, "I don't doubt it. I'll make sure to ask you next time. You know, spread the good fortune."

"Good," she nodded again and leaned back into the chair.

"SG1 should be here in a minute," General Landry informed them as he entered the room. He had seen Vala come into the conference room from his office and had hurried out because experience had taught him that it was not a good idea to leave those two alone for any length of time. They were too much alike in their delight of pranks and general mischievousness for anyone to feel comfortable leaving them unsupervised.

"Vala," Landry said as he took his seat next to Jack. "I'm surprised to see you here so early. I thought you'd come in later."

Vala shrugged and answered, "I came in last night with Daniel; didn't really want to stay home alone and thought maybe I could help."

"And were you able to help?" Landry asked.

"Not really," she answered with a sigh. "There wasn't much I could do; it was all Earth science not much to do with Goa'uld technology."

Jack and Landry nodded their understanding as Teal'c and Cameron walked in. "Generals," Cameron nodded his greetings. "Vala," Cameron added as sat down tow chairs down from her, leaving the one next to her for Daniel.

"O'Neill," Teal'c tilted his head in Jack's direction and then repeated the action towards the other general, "GeneralLandry." He walked to Jack's right and sat down across from the empty side on his left as he nodded his head towards Vala. "Vala MalDoran."

The generals and Vala returned the greetings as Sam and Daniel came into the room. "Good, everyone's here," Daniel said as he nodded his greetings and sat down between Vala and Cameron.

Sam greeted everyone and sat down on Jack's right and beside Teal'c.

"So," Jack said after they had all settled down. "What have you found out?"

"Not much," Daniel answered as he pushed his glasses up his nose. "In fact, we haven't been able to do more than to confirm that the vial did indeed carry tretonin, which would support the thesis that at least one of the bodies was a Jaffa."

"That's it?" Jack asked incredulous. "We don't know anything else? No identification?"

Sam nodded and then shrugged. "I'm sorry, sir. Janet and her team have been working all night and are in fact running more tests right now. But the fact of the matter is that the bodies were pretty badly burned; whatever it was that blew up must have had some sort of strong accelerant for the bodies to have burned so much so fast. In fact, most of what's left are bones, there's not much meat left – certainly not enough for us to recover any fingerprints."

"What about dental records?" Landry asked, frowning while Jack started tapping his fingers on the table showing his displeasure with the lack of progress.

"Sorry, sir." Sam said again, shaking his head. "No matches, which again support the theory that they might not been from Earth – or at least they're not on the system."

"So, what _do_ we know?" Jack asked curtly.

"Pretty much what we knew last night," Daniel answered. "That both victims were male, one Caucasian and in his thirties and the other was mixed race but we couldn't tell his age. Which probably means first victim was human and not Jaffa, though whether he was from Earth . . ." he trailed off with a shrug indicating there was no way to know.

"So, what you guys are telling me is that two men, one who was a Jaffa, blew up in a bathroom a few yards away from a room that contained most of this country's military brass and we know nothing about it? That all that we basically know is what that Dr. told us yesterday?" Jack asked once again showing his annoyance.

"Dr. Brennan," Daniel corrected him but Jack waved it away; he didn't have anything against the good doctor, he in fact had found her nice enough but he was so annoyed he couldn't be bothered to think of her name.

"Sorry, sir," Sam said. "But we haven't had much time. It's possible the tests Janet is running could tell us something new," she didn't sound too hopeful, though, and Daniel was looking pretty skeptical.

Before Jack commented, Cameron raised an issue he thought needed to be addressed even if it was far-fetched. "And we're sure it wasn't terrorism? As General O'Neill said some of the highest ranking military officers were present last night if the bomb had gone off inside the dinning room, our military would have been dealt a crushing blow."

Landry looked thoughtful at the suggestion as did Vala but Jack, Sam, Daniel and Teal'c all shook their head. "It wouldn't really make sense," Sam answered. "I mean we can't be completely sure right now, but why would a Jaffa be working with terrorists. I guess it's possible but not really probable. Most terrorists don't know about the existence of aliens and I don't really see a Jaffa involving himself with those tactics. They're much more likely to work within the government to destabilize it and then rise to power – pretty much what they learn from the Goa'uld."

Teal'c nodded his agreement with her reasoning while Jack returned to the topic, "But the only way we're going to know for certain is to find out who those men were. How are we going to do that?"

"Well," Daniel spoke up. "I've been thinking."

"Big surprise there, Danny-boy," Jack said sarcastically.

Daniel grimaced at the nickname but chose to pick his battles and ignored him. "I think we should invite Dr. Brennan and her team to help us with the investigation."

**A/N:** Next chapter will be a little longer in coming out because there I have a few stories in the Stargate fandom I want to work on. Please review and let me know if you liked this chapter as much as the other ones.


	5. Chapter 5

**The Men From the Gate**

**A/N: **I'm sorry for taking so long with this chapter. I really meant to have it out earlier but a combination of feeling off and finding this chapter harder than I thought and well . . . I knew what I wanted to say but I just couldn't get into the characters' head for some reason. And the worst part, I didn't even update any other story. But, your reviews were so lovely and for most of this story I've gotten more reviews for chapters than in almost any of my stories - so, you've really inspired me to keep going when I didn't feel like writing this week. I'm not still sure about this chapter but I don't think I can get it better - please let me know what you think so I can know if I was really off or in what I can improve. I want to thank: kenmoresq - I'm glad you like the crossover; Octarina4eva - thanks for the long review, I Love those; snarkyrabidsquirrel - yeah, that's just where the story is going :); medenbar, I did skip them, hope you like the result; rocks and glass - I hope Daniel gave the defending he needed to and I'll do my best to keep moving the story along at a good speed; bb-4ever - I love that idea too, that's one of the reason I wrote the story and it won't be the last you see it either, I'm not planning on going too much into SG1 past but the plot does stem from one of my earlier SG1 stories, but I'll explain everything and hopefully you won't find that it takes from the story, as for Bones' reaction yeah, should be good but I think Hodgins should be better!; ez - they should interact starting next chapter, hopefully your friend will like it; fortune kookie 91 - hope I haven't kept you waiting too long; baller23jk5 and pologrmgrl - SG1 and bones are two of my favorite shows also, that's why I started this fic, I'm so glad you guys are liking it. I promise not to take too long in updating, at most I'll try a chapter a week but I'll really shoot for one every three days. Thank you all again for your reviews, they really keep me writing and updating fast. One last thing: this is unbated and I'm feeling a bit off, I apologize for any errors.

**Disclaimer: **No, they don't belong to me, neither SG1 nor Bones.

**Chapter 5**

"What?" Jack asked, disbelieving. "You've got to be kidding me."

"No, I'm not Jack." Daniel denied. "It makes sense."

"Oh, bringing in more civilians always makes sense!" Jack said sarcastically.

"Jack," Daniel began to speak but Jack wouldn't let him continue.

"No, Daniel." Jack said shaking his head.

"Jack, just hear me out, ok." Jack sighed exasperatedly but after closing his eyes for a minute, he waved his hand telling him to go on.

Daniel took a deep breath and after shooting a glance to Sam and receiving a nod, he pushed his glasses up his nose and started to speak. "Jack, we have a couple of bodies, one of which is a Jaffa, that have been burned beyond recognition and that are basically only bones. We need to find out who they are and what they were doing in that bathroom and we need to do it fast. Unfortunately, we're not really equipped to do that here. But Booth, Dr. Brennan and their team are - that's what they do."

"We have some of the best minds in the country, if not the world in this facility as well as cutting edge technology and you're telling me we can't figure this out?"

"No," Daniel answered slowly. "I'm telling you that while we would eventually find the answers, it would take us too long and we need to find them soon. And for that we need to call specialists because as many experts as we have here, we don't have a forensic anthropologist."

"You're an anthropologist," Jack interrupted to point out.

"Yes, Jack," Daniel agreed very slowly. "I am an anthropologist _not_ a forensic anthropologist. If what we had were some remnants of a culture and you wanted to know how they developed then I'd be your man. But, what we have are two sets of bodies and unfortunately all I can tell when I see them is that they were burned to death. We need someone that can tell much more from them: like where they were born, where they've spent the last years – even the last few days."

"Dr. Brennan can tell all that just from those burned bones?" Jack asked somewhat skeptically, he had read her books but he wasn't completely convinced that they hadn't had some fiction thrown in.

"Yes," Daniel answered firmly. "She and her team can tell that and more from those bones." He paused for a minute before he continued. "Jack, this facility does have some of the best minds in the world; however, none of those minds are trained in this field. They're all brilliant and I have no doubt that they'll find the answers sooner or later but I don't know that we can wait. Not when we can call on an expert and get those answers on a fraction of that time."

Jack sighed and rubbed his face, "Ok, let's say that I agree that calling in Dr. Brennan makes sense. Why do we need to bring Booth too? He's not a forensic anthropologist. For what you've just said, we just need her not him."

"Well, for one thing they're partners and I don't think she'll be happy to come without him. From what I've been able to gathered, she's made it very clear that she'll only work with him. For another, he's an FBI agent and trained for this type of investigation. This is what they do; she dissects the bones and he finds who's killed them. He's the logical choice to lead the investigation."

"You want him to lead the investigation?" Jack asked astonished, he hadn't seen that coming. It was one thing to ask for an expert to come and consult another to ask for someone else to take over the investigation. "Oh, come on, Daniel. We don't need someone else to come and run the investigation. We've conducted investigations before."

"Not like this we haven't," Daniel insisted. "We haven't conducted a real murder investigation. And the truth is that we don't exactly have the best record when it comes to investigations conducted on-world. We're great off-world but when it comes to carry investigation on Earth, well, we're not as good. We've always had help. This time we'd be asking the FBI instead of the NID, that's all."

Jack shook his head as Cameron spoke up, "He's right, sir." At Jack's surprised glare, he paled a little but stood his ground. He didn't like the idea of bringing in someone else to be in charge of the investigation, but if that would help them find answers fast, then that's what they had to do. "SG1 and all the SG teams are great at what we do; unfortunately, a murder investigation of this type is not what we do. It wouldn't be the worst idea to request help from someone who knows how to do it."

"They're right, sir." Sam confirmed when Jack turned to look at her. "Like Daniel said, we could probably find the answers in the end but there's no telling how long it'd take us to get there and we need those answers as soon as possible. Bringing in Major Booth, Dr. Brennan and their team makes sense."

"But bringing in more civilians," Jack protested.

"To be fair," Sam intervened. "Major Booth is not really a civilian; he's inactive."

"Yeah," Jack agreed with a sigh, not surprised that she had noticed. "I noticed the emblem." He said referring to the insignia Booth had worn among his others ribbons indicating his status and which only would have been recognized by high ranking military personnel or by someone assigned to a top-secret program.

"He's a Ranger; he knows how to keep a secret and how to conduct himself in military setting." Sam argued.

"Yes, there is that," Jack agreed again. "Ok, I guess it makes sense. Why don't you guys begin do a background check and . . ." He trailed off when he saw Sam and Daniel's faces. "You've already done it, haven't you?" At their sheepish nods, he sighed and asked rhetorically, "Why am I not surprised? Ok, well, let me see." He requested with a give me gesture towards the folders Daniel had.

Daniel handed them over and asked, "What did you mean Booth's inactive? I thought he was retired, is that the same?"

Jack looked up from where he had started to study the folders and after meeting Sam's and Hank's eyes, answered, "No, it's not." He paused and then went on to explained when he saw from Daniel's face that he wouldn't let it rest. "It basically means that he could be call back to action at any moment and he'd have to report within twenty-four –at most forty-eight – hours. He has to be as physically fit and have all of his requirements met as if he was in active duty."

Daniel stared at Jack and then at the other military officers and noticed that not one of them was surprised at the answer. "That wasn't in his file. How come I didn't find it when I did the background? I have one of the highest clearances there are."

"You do," Jack agreed as he turned the page on the file he was reading. "But it's a civilian clearance because you are after all, a civilian – as in not in the military and as such there are certain military related things that you are not cleared to know."

"But, but," Daniel started to protest and then shut up when he noticed that Sam and Vala were exchanging smirks, Cam was trying to hide his and Jack was making no effort to hide his as he continued to pursue the files.

A few minutes later, during which Jack and Hank had studied the files and SG1 had talked amongst themselves, Jack said, "Ok, they've both been checked out and have security clearance with the federal government. It shouldn't be too hard to . . ." He looked up and noticed the glances that Daniel and Sam were trading as well as the files that Daniel still had in front of him and he remembered something they've said before. "It's not just the two of them you want to bring in on this, is it?"

"No," Daniel answered. "There's also their team: Dr. Jack Hodgins, entomologist and all around slime and bug guy; Dr. Zack Addy, Forensic Anthropologist; Mrs. Angela Montenegro-Hodgins, Forensic Artist and Dr. Camille Saroyan, pathologist."

"And why do we need all of them?" Jack asked, exasperated. "That Dr. Zaddy,"

"Dr. Zack Addy," Daniel corrected him with a sigh. He had forgotten how exasperating Jack could be; he really didn't know Sam put up with him.

"Yeah, him," Jack said with a wave of his hand. "Why do we need him? He's a forensic anthropologist – the same as Brennan. We don't need two of them, do we? And why do we need an artist? What's she going to draw – the Gate?"

"Jack," Daniel said trying to keep his patience, something not easily done when Jack was in one of his moods. "We need them all because they're a team. Yes, some of their discipline may overlap or you may think that they don't contribute much – but they've been working together for almost four years now and they've always had positive results. Why break up a team that obviously works well together? Besides, I don't think neither Booth nor Brennan will like it very much if the rest of the team is not included."

"What makes you say that?" Jack asked as he leaned back on his chair.

Daniel shrugged and answered, "They've worked together for a long time now; they've become more than just friends and are now a family. They seem to spend most of their off time together; in fact, Booth and Brennan were best man and maid of honor on the Hodgins-Montenegro wedding. When Brennan and Hodgins were kidnapped a couple of years ago, Booth was ready to disobeyed FBI policy and pay the ransom and the rest of the team was behind him. And when he was suspended because of that mess with Director Kirby, they kept working to solve the case and got him his job back. They take care of each other and obviously depend on each other. Jack, they're the FBI, civilian version of SG1." Daniel finished with a nod of his head to emphasize his point.

Jack looked at him and then noticed that Sam was nodding her agreement with Daniel's assessment. "Okay," Jack said. "So? What does that mean?"

"So? Jack, that means that Booth and Brennan will not leave their team behind. And it is _their_ team now; he's as protective of the rest of the team as Brennan is. And frankly, from reading his file, Booth reminds me a lot of you: ex-special ops, duty-bound, honorable, devoted father, honest and loyal. He even uses humor to deflect uncomfortable subjects and likes to pretend he understands less than he does. Did you know that he has a JD?" he asked but no one answered him.

"He sounds like a great man," Jack commented, ignoring the mention of Booth's degree. "But what does that have to do with . . .?"

Daniel shook his head, took a deep breath and counted to ten in his head. He didn't know if Jack was being this dense on purpose to annoy him or he really was this dense – knowing Jack, Daniel would go with the first. "If he's like you on other areas, it stands to reason that like you, he won't leave his team behind or keep pertinent information from them. I mean how many times did you insist on having every one of us included when the higher ups didn't like? And how many times how you told us things that we shouldn't have known?" He asked.

"Not that many," Jack denied but at Daniel and Sam's knowing looks, he sighed and gave in. "Ok, ok. I'll talk to the president and chiefs and see if they go along with bringing all of them on this."

Daniel snorted and asked, "Weren't you the one that was going on and on about how you were 'the man' a few months back? And how if you decided to tell someone about the Gate the president and chiefs had to go along with it?"

"Yeah, well," Jack said without answering as he pushed back from the table and started to get up. "I'll just go make those calls, shall I?"

"One more thing, sir," Sam said as Jack was standing up. She continued when he turned to look down at her to show she had his attention. "It might be best if Janet doesn't continue with any other tests. We wouldn't want to compromise any evidence by doing something we shouldn't."

Jack thought about it for a minute and with sigh accepted it, "Ok, have Janet stand down . . . And you already told her, didn't you?" Jack asked when he saw Sam's face. Sam nodded and Jack turned around muttering about how they never wait for permission anymore, where the respect for generals was nowadays and why they even bothered asking in the first place.

Daniel, Sam and Vala exchanged grins while Landry got up thinking that he felt a bit superfluous whenever the original SG1 was together.

"You guys might as well home," Jack said from the doorway to Landry's office. "Apparently, there's not much you can do here until these people," he held up the files Daniel had given him, "get here. Go and enjoy what you can of your Sunday."

He didn't need to tell them twice, as one SG1 got up and started to leave after saying their goodbyes. Sam looked at Jack and in one glance he let her know to go home and he'll meet her there as soon as he could. With a warm smile, she turned away and followed the rest of her team out of the conference room. Now all they had to do was wait for Booth, Brennan and their team to get there.

--------------------------

"Good, you're all here," Booth said as he walked into Brennan's office and found the whole squint squad waiting for him.

"What's this about, Booth?" Hodgins asked from where he was seating down on the couch next to Angela. "Some of us had plans for the rest of the evening. And they did _not_ include coming to the office."

"This wasn't my idea," Booth argued as he sat down on the chair facing Brennan's desk. "I was having a perfectly nice Sunday myself." He leaned back as he thought how he'd been able to dragged Brennan out for branch, claiming it was too nice a day to spend indoors. Then they've gone for a walk on the Mall and he had just convinced her to go to a movie when Cullen had called.

"Booth," Brennan intervened. "What did Cullen want? Do we have a new case?"

"Yes, well no. I guess technically it's not a new case," was Booth's answer.

"Which is it, Booth?" Brennan asked.

"How much do you guys know about what happened last night?" He asked the squints seating on and by the sofa.

Angela got a gleam in her eyes as she answered, "Well, we know that you and Bren went on a date to the military fundraiser. Why did something else happened?" Angela asked eager for every detail. She had meant to call Brennan last night but she had fallen asleep and this morning Jack had wanted to go out and she hadn't had time to call her and get all the details from her yet.

Both Brennan and Booth decided to ignore the mention of date. "Yes, we found two bodies," Booth answered.

"And someone," Brennan intervened giving Booth the evil eye. "Just blithely let someone else take over the investigation and take our bones away."

"Bones," Booth said on a sigh. "I told you already when a two stars general tells you that something is a matter of national security and no longer your jurisdiction, there's not much you can do."

"Yes, so you told me," Brennan said in a placating tone that wasn't placating at all and had Booth grinding his teeth and Brennan turning her head to hide her grin.

"Hold on, hold on," Angela called out. "You mean to tell me that you two went out to a nice dinner and found two bodies?" At their nods, she muttered, "Why I am not surprised?" with a shake of her head.

"Anyway," Booth said, bringing the conversation back on track. "There was some sort of an explosion in one of the bathrooms. When we got there we found it a mess. The sinks, toilets and urinals were blown and there was water everywhere,"

"Oh, sweetie," Angela interrupted. "Your beautiful dress!!"

Brennan answered with a small grin, "Don't worry. I remembered you and hiked it up. But the shoes were lost."

Angela sighed sadly but was glad the dress was saved.

Booth rolled his eyes, though he too was glad the dress was saved because Bones looked really good in it. "Anyway," he said bringing an end to the fashion hour. "Bones gave them a preliminary exam." He looked at her and she gave them her findings, ending with the baffling fact that the second body's markers put him at well over a hundred years old.

"But how can that be?" asked Zack, sounding as perplexed as Bones had last night. "Could generic defects have that affect?" He asked Brennan.

"I don't know," Brennan answered. "We need more exams to form any kind of conclusion." She then turned to Booth excited as a reason for this meeting presented itself. "Are they giving us the case after all?"

"Yes," Booth answered and was immediately drowned out by the squints excited planning. "Wait," he said but no one paid any attention. "Wait!" he said louder and everyone stopped talking and looked at him. "It's not that easy. First of all, the bones aren't coming here. We have to go to them."

"What?" Brennan started to argue but quieted down when Booth raised his hand and gave her a look that said he wasn't done.

"That is non-negotiable. As is the fact that we all have to sign confidentiality agreements before anything else can happen." And he raised a handful of folders, presumably a folder for each containing said agreement.

That little announcement brought a silence to the group that was broken by Hodgins', "I'm not signing anything!" declaration.

"You are," Booth said firmly, "if you want to be a part of this investigation."

"Conspiracy," he cried. "It's a conspiracy to keep me out."

"How can that be if we're all asked to sign?" Brennan wanted to know. She had no problem signing any such document. She had done so before and will probably do so again.

"Hodgins, it's not a conspiracy to keep you out," Booth assured him and then said, "Though it might well be that we're asking to keep one."

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked, curious.

"Just that all of this smells very fishy," he said and Brennan got that 'I don't know what that means' face. "I just mean that there's something going on. The order to call us to the case came from General O'Neill himself."

"The same general that sent us away yesterday?" Brennan asked.

Booth nodded and Hodgins asked, "General Jack O'Neill?" Booth seemed surprised but nodded. "And where exactly are we going?" Hodgins asked.

"Cheyenne Mountain in Colorado Springs," Booth answered. Hodgins nodded and sat back with a thoughtful face. "What do you know, Hodgins?" Booth asked; he really shouldn't be surprised about what the other man knew.

"Nothing much," Hodgins answered. "There has always been talk about what really goes on down that mountain. And General O'Neill's name has been linked with it for over ten years. A few years ago he was promoted and put in charge of one of the most secret department in the military. The Department of HomeWorld Security."

"Homeworld Security?" Angela repeated. "I've never heard of that department."

"Exactly," Hodgins answered. "No one has and no one I've talked to can find out just what is it that they do. In fact, I only found out about it completely by accident and haven't been able to find out anything else since."

"Um," Booth said as he nodded. "I couldn't find anything about his post either."

That took Brennan back for a moment. "I thought you knew who he was." She commented. "Yesterday when you were introduced to him, you responded as if you've known him."

"I know of him," Booth corrected. "I heard of him first when I was in Ranger training. He was already a legend back then. The special-ops community is small and when someone is as an exceptional officer as he was, everyone knows about it."

"What made him so good?" Brennan asked, curious as to what Booth considered an exceptional officer.

Booth shrugged and said, "He was a POW in Iraq for a few months and somehow was able to crawl through the desert until he got to friendly territory; he's tough and as far as I know has never broken under enemy torture – and as a POW, he _was_ tortured. He's never left a man behind, even if he had to disobey orders to go and bring him back. He's loyal, honorable and cares more about the men under his command than following orders for the sake of following them."

Brennan heard him talk and realized something, "You really respect him, don't you?" She was surprised to hear him talk so highly of someone that he'd never met before.

Booth thought about it and then nodded, "Yes, I respect what he's done and gone through for his country. He's the type of man that you follow to hell and back without question because you know he'd never lead you there without a damn good reason and never leave you behind." Brennan nodded, thinking that his retreat last night made sense now. He wouldn't have left so easily if some other officer had been in charge.

"How can you know all that?" asked Hodgins, skeptically. As close as he and Booth may have gotten, he still didn't understand the other man's respect and dedication to the military.

Both shrugged again and simply answered, "I've met men that have served under him. But back to the topic at hand, we all need to agree to sign these," he said waving the folders again, "or we won't be given access to the bones and the investigation."

He looked around and everyone nodded their agreement while Hodgins nodded and said, 'yeah, yeah,' sounding like he was humoring them. "I'm serious, Hodgins. This is not a joke but a very serious matter. Breaking this agreement is treason and the penalty is steep."

Hodgins snorted, "Come on. What can they do to me? Kill me? I'm not military and they don't kill civilian for treason. And I really doubt they want to take me on in a public trial."

Both just stared at him and said, "You'd be surprised, Hodgins. They're not kidding and I don't think you're millions would help you. They sure as hell wouldn't help me."

"You?" Brennan and Hodgins asked at the same time. "What do you have to with Hodgins breaking his agreement?" She asked even as Hodgins asked, "What would they do anything to you?"

"Because I'm the team leader and as such I'm responsible for you guys. I got the impression that General O'Neill wasn't really happy with bringing in so many civilians and one of the reasons he did was because I'm in charge and I am military – even if you're not."

"Dude," Hodgins said as he leaned forward with an awed look on his face. "That is totally messed up. They'd hold you and your career over us to keep us quiet. That's," he shook his head apparently at a loss of words to describe the government's actions. "_so_ messed up. Oh, whatever they're hiding must be good!"

"Yes, I'm sure it is." Booth agreed. "It's huge and frankly I'm not even sure I want to know what it is. But," he shrugged again, "it doesn't seem as if I'm giving the option. You, however," he said looking at Hodgins, "are. If you can't keep quiet after you learn whatever it is, don't sign this and stay out of it. I mean it, Hodgins, this is not one of your theories but the real stuff. Whether you agree with them or not, the government has its reasons to keep quiet and if you can't do the same . . ."

Hodgins looked like he wanted to argue but after looking at Angela and Brennan, he sighed and as he sat back, he earnestly told Booth, "Relax, man. I'll sign the damn papers and keep quiet – if only to find out what it is that they're hiding." When he noticed that neither Booth nor Brennan looked that reassured, he said firmly, "I would never do something that would hurt your career, Booth or you guys," he added looking at all the squints. "It's one thing to risk my own but I'd never risk yours."

Booth nodded and leaned forward to distribute the folders, "Ok, then. We have to read them and sign them. But first we have to go pack; we leave for CO in three hours." He ignored everyone's protest and continued, "That gives you enough time to go home pack and come back here. We'll take my SUV and leave it at Andrews where we'll be catching a military transport." With that, he got up and clapped his hands.

Everyone else also got up and hurried out, talking about what they should pack and wondering what could possibly the government be hiding.

"Bones," Booth said as Brennan started to walk around her desk. "Can you stay a minute?"

"Sure," she answered and walked to stand by Booth who was looking a bit nervous. "What is it? Is something wrong?"

"No, not really. But I don't think you're going to like my news too much," he answered.

"Well, just tell me and we'll know," she replied, starting to feel a bit apprehensive.

"I've been recalled to active duty," he said, looking into her eyes. "I told you you'd be the first to know if something like this happens."

She stood staring at him for a few moments without saying anything, like she couldn't understand what he was saying. "What? I thought you were going with us on this . . ."

"I am," Booth hastened to reassure her, "I am. I'm only been called back for the duration of this investigation."

"Why?" Brennan asked, still confused.

"Like I said, General O'Neill isn't happy with bringing in outsiders to take care of the investigation and he feels better if I'm under his command for the duration."

"Why? So that he can control you?" she asked, not bothering to mask her incredulity.

"Not control me," Booth denied. "Maybe control or guide the investigation, though." At the outrage face that comment drew from Brennan, he laughed. "Relax, Bones. They're not going to make us lie for them because we can't even talk about it with anyone; in fact, as far as the rest of the world knows, there's no investigation."

"Oh, that makes me feel better," she said sarcastically.

Booth shrugged and added, "But, Bones, we will be working in a military environment. I don't think they'll get in our way too much because they want answers, but there will be protocol and rules to follow. You may not be able to do just like you want them done or how you've become used to doing them." He warned her.

"I know, Booth," she said with exaggerated patience. "I've worked with the military before."

"Ok, good." He clapped his hands again and said, "Well, shall we? We still have to pack."

Brennan nodded and they left to go pack, both wondering what the heck they were getting themselves into.

**A/N2: **I made Booth a lawyer because, well, because I'm one and because to be an FBI agent he has to have a degree and I always thought that a law degree and FBI just go together. There's never really been anything on the show to say otherwise and I think it'd be really interesting if he's shown to have a high degree of his own, though completely unrelated to the Bones' and the squints's.


	6. Chapter 6

**The ****Men From the Gate**

**Diclaimer: **I don't own Bones, SG1 or Stargate the movie. I hereby acknowledge that some of the dialoge in the following chapter comes from the movie and the pilot for SG1 and I want to credit those words and the concept behind them to the respective writers and creative minds.

**A/N: **I want to once again thank all of those who had bothered to review and read my story - it really means a lot and inspires me to keep writing. I hope you guys like this chapter as much as the others and that those of you that are only Bones fans don't find that I went into too much detail in the explanations (and that those that are also SG1 fans don't find it too repetitive). I thought about doing the whole 'and then he explain the concept' type of thing, but then I thought that this was a Bones fic and I shouldn't assume that you guys know what I was talking about when I refer to SG1 stuff. I know I tend to go into too much details sometimes, I told you guys I was way too verbose, so I tried not to do that and at the same time balance it with having the story flow and make sense. I hope I was able to achieved that, please review and let me know what you think. Once again, I don't have a Beta (if anyone is interested let me know, I have no idea how to go about getting one) so for all of you grammar sticklers (especially mendenbar), I sincerely and deeply apologize for any mistakes. Being a stickler for grammar myself, I know how annoying it can be to find mistakes in a story (I've actually stopped reading some because of them) I can only say that I do my best to catch them all and that I hope you're only finding some and can still enjoy the story and I do want to thank mendenar, whose reviews make me work extra hard at catching all those pesky mistakes and makes me a better writer as a result :) But I do need a beta, so if any one with good grammar is interested, let me know, please!!

**Chapter 6**

"Hey, sweetie," Angela said as she walked into Brennan's office about an hour later. She was going to ask for the details about the night before but she changed her mind when she saw how Brennan was going around her office, picking up books and folders and muttering to herself. "What are you doing? Did you lose something?" She asked.

"No, no." Brennan answered as she picked up a book and flipped through its pages before putting it down again. "I haven't lost anything; I'm just trying to decide what to take with me on this trip." She moved from the bookcase and went to her desk. "How do they expect me to do my job if I don't have the equipment I need? And with all of us going, who the heck will be here to run the tests if we need to send something back?" She asked as picked up a bunch of folders and started to go through them.

"Ah," Angela said as she walked in and perched on the arm of the sofa. "Hodgins and Zack had the same thought. They're on the lab now, trying to see if they can take some of the smallest microscopes."

"Not a bad idea but I don't know if a few microscopes will be of much help," Brennan replied as she turned to her computer.

"Have you talked to Booth about it?" Angela asked.

"Talked to Booth about what?" The man himself asked as he walked into the room.

Both women turned toward the door and lost their train of thought when they saw him. Booth was standing there wearing his military uniform and carrying a military duffel bag. From the top of his Ranger beret to his polished boots, he looked every inch the soldier. The uniform emphasized his broad shoulders and long legs; in a word, he looked magnificent and both women were momentarily speechless.

Angela was the first to recover, "Booth, why are you wearing your uniform? Not that you don't look great," she added with a small smile and a wink. "Really great. But why?" She then remembered what Brennan had told her a few days before and she lost her smile as she asked, "you're not going . . .?"

"No, I'm not." Booth answered and he knew by the look on Angela's face that Bones must have said something about his military status. "I'm going with you guys to Colorado. But I've been recalled to active duty for the duration of this mission. Hence," he added with a wave to the uniform, "the uniform."

"So, what should be called you? Major Booth?" Angela asked with grin.

"Sure or you can just keep calling me Booth," he answered with a grin of his own. "Now, what is it that you wanted to talk to me?"

Brennan was recovered enough by that time to speak, "Booth, this is just not going to work. All of the equipment I need to run the tests is here. How am I going to run a complete examination on the remains if I don't have access to the tools I need?"

"Don't worry about it, Bones," Booth reassured her as he put down his bag and came further into the office. "I was told that you'll have access to any and all equipment you might need."

"Huh," Brennan said as she dropped some folders back onto her desk and rose with some others, walked to her evidence kit and put them inside. "We're going to a military base inside a mountain in Colorado; I somehow doubt that they'll have what I need. This would just be easier if they send the bodies back here."

"Forget it, Bones. They are not letting those bones out of the mountain. Whatever it is they do over there, it's top secret and those bodies are somehow part of it." Booth told her as he checked his watch. "Where are the rest of squints? We need to leave soon."

"Jack and Zack are in the lab and Cam is in her office finishing some paperwork." Angela said.

Booth took out his cell phone and told Angela as he started to dial, "Can you call those two and tell them we're leaving?" Angela nodded and left the office.

After calling Cam and telling and that they were leaving, Booth closed her phone and turned to Brennan. "So, Bones. Ready to go?"

"Yes," she said on a sigh as she stepped back from desk and looked around her office. "There's no way I can pack everything I could possibly need. I'm just going to have to hope they'll have the equipment I'll need."

Booth nodded in sympathy and motioned towards the door. "Let's go, then. I see the rest of the squints are ready."

"Yes, let's go. The faster we get there, the faster we can get back." She said as she picked up her purse while Booth reached for his bag and hers. "I just hope they haven't messed with the bones." She added as she closed and locked the door.

--------------------------------

Less than hour later, they arrived at Andrews Air Force Base. After parking in the long term parking lot, they walked toward the airfield where they were met by an Air Force officer.

"Major Booth," the officer acknowledged as they stopped in front of each other.

Booth saluted him, "Colonel Davis, sir."

The Colonel returned the salute and then offered his hand. "Good to see you again."

Booth then turned to Brennan and the squints and started the introductions. "Bones, this is Colonel Davis. Colonel, this is Dr. Temperance Brennan."

"Dr, a pleasure," the Colonel said as they shook hands.

Brennan nodded and said, "Nice to meet you." He looked familiar and it took her a few moments to place his face. "You were at the dinner last night, weren't you?"

"Yes," he answered with a smile. "But with all the commotion, there was not time for introductions." He turned when Booth continued with the introductions.

After everyone had shaken hands, Davis waved them towards a waiting airplane and said, "Shall we?"

As they walked towards the plane, Hodgins asked, "So, what is you role on this conspiracy?"

Davis turned to look at Hodgins and smiled, he'd been warned about the good doctor. "I work with General O'Neill at the Pentagon. I used to be the liaison between the Pentagon and the SGC but once Homeworld Security was created, that position was superfluous and I was integrated into that department."

"What's the SGC? And what does Homeworld Security does? I've never been able to get any information on that department." Hodgins commented.

"That's because it's confidential. But you'll hear all about it when we get to Colorado and you're debriefed." The Colonel answered, neatly evading answering the question.

"Are you going to be the one that will debrief us?" Zack wanted to know.

"No," Davis answered with a small laugh. "I wouldn't know where to start or have the answers to the all the questions you're bound to have. No," he repeated, "you'll be debriefed by Dr. Daniel Jackson. He's the one in charge of debriefs whenever he's available."

"Dr. Jackson?" Zack repeated. "Isn't he the archeologist that had that theory about the Egyptian pyramids being landing sites for spaceships?"

"One and the same," Davis answered with a small smile.

"He hasn't being heard from in more than ten years." Zack said in a confused voice.

"That's because he's being working for us." Davis answered.

"What's a disgraced archeologist . . ." Zack started to ask but a nudge from Booth shut him up. Brennan may have learned when to keep quiet but Zack hadn't.

"He has been with the program since its inception." Davis explained as if he had not heard the comment. He had heard like comments before and he was sure he'd hear them again; won't they be surprised when they find out about the Gate? "In fact, Jackson, General O'Neill and a handful of others are the only ones that have been with it since the very beginning. With the exception of the original SG1, there's no one that knows more about the Stargate and the SGC than Jackson."

"SG1?" Asked Booth.

"The Stargate?" Asked Brennan.

Davis shook his head and said, "SG1 is General O'Neill's team. For the rest, you need to wait until we get to the mountain."

"I didn't know that General had teams," Booth commented. As he looked around at the team, he noticed that all the squints had bewildered faces and were biting their tongues to keep from asking questions that would not be answered.

Davis laughed and said, "If any general would, it would be General O'Neill. But SG1 was his team before he was promoted; it's just that they've gone through so much over the years that they've become family and, though it's no longer technically true, SG1 will always be General O'Neill's team. They're so tight, in fact, that the two new additions had been added to the family."

They had reached the plane by this time and any further questioning was tabled as they boarded. Once they were seated, there was no opportunity for any more questions as Davis didn't sit close by.

Six hours later, the group walked towards the Cheyenne Mountain entrance where a couple seemed to be waiting for them. The man was slightly shorter than Booth and was wearing green BDUs and combat boots. His brown hair was cut military-short and he was wearing glasses. The green shirt was open and the sleeves were pushed up. His hands were in his pockets and his wrists and forearms pushed the shirt tails back, showing a black t-shirt that was tight enough to showcase a nicely defined torso. Brennan, Angela and Cam looked at him with admiring glances. If it wasn't for the glasses and the intense blue eyes behind them, the man could pass for another soldier.

The woman was also wearing green BDUs and combat boots but she did not look like any soldier Booth, Zack or Hodgins had ever seen. She had her dark hair in two messy pigtails and a bunch of glittering hair clips were scattered through her head. Her black t-shirt was almost skin tight and ended before her pants began. One of her hands was also in her pocket but the other was around the man's arm and she was leaning her head on his shoulder.

"Davis!" She called when they got close enough to be heard. "It's been a while since you've come to visit." She reproached with a pout. "You know how boring it gets here; I need new faces and gossip."

Davis laughed and said, "Hello, Vala. How are you?" When she smiled back and said fine, he turned to the man. "Dr. Jackson," he said as he nodded his head. "How are you?"

"Fine. Thank you," Jackson said as they shook hands.

"Dr. Daniel Jackson, Vala Mal Doran," Davis said as he waved to each and began the introductions. "These are Dr. Brennan, Major Booth, Dr. Hodgins, Dr. Addy, Dr. Soroyan and Mrs. Montenegro-Hodgins."

Daniel took a step forward and shook everyone's hands. When he shook Brennan's, he said, "Dr. Brennan, I've followed your work. It's brilliant. I've actually used it as a reference a few times."

"Thank you," she smiled and had to stopped herself from saying that she'd too heard of his work; she couldn't actually said that it was brilliant and Booth had repeatedly told her that if she can't say something nice, it's better to say nothing at all.

Angela, who was a student of body language, noticed that Vala stiffened when Daniel expressed his admiration for Brennan. That and the fact that the two had been so close, told Angela that they were definitely a couple.

When all the greetings had been finished, Daniel said, "Well, shall we? I'm sure you're anxious to know why you've come so far."

They all nodded and followed him, Vala and Davis into the mountain. As they entered the first elevator, Angela noticed that Daniel and Vala were holding hands. She smiled and nudged Cam to show her. Cam followed her gaze and returned the knowing smile.

They went down about twenty floors, got out, went through another check point and entered another elevator. As Zack saw the numbers go up, he couldn't help but remember the last time he'd been so far down – when they've gone down into the DC tunnels to recovered the remains of the journalist. At least this time they were going down in an elevator and not being held by a single rope - a vast improvement in his opinion.

As they descended the last few floors, Vala leaned forward and told Angela, "I love that outfit. You'll have to tell me where you got it." Angela smiled and the two began a brief but intense discussion on fashion. Brennan noticed and shook her head, thinking that only Angela could make friends that fast in that type of situation. Though, she had to admit that the two women looked like they'd get along very well.

Finally, after they've gone who knew how many feet underground (and Angela and Vala had made a date to go shopping at the earliest opportunity), they left the elevator and started walking down a hallway. Despite being so far down, it was apparent that this was a busy base as they passed quite a number of personnel going about their business and most seemed to know both Daniel and Vala.

After a few twists and turns (enough that the newcomers were helplessly lost), they entered what appeared to be a conference room: to their right, there was a metal staircase that went down; to the far left, there was a door leading to another hallway, a glass window that had some sort of star charts on it and that looked into an office and a door leading into that office; in the middle of the room, there was a long, oblong conference table, which was right in front of another, large glass window but this one was covered by a metal blast door.

When Booth entered the room, he saw that there were five persons around the table. General O'Neill was at the head of the table seated next to another two-star general. To his right was Lt Colonel Carter and to the left of the other general was another Lt Colonel and a big, black man with a gold tattoo on his forehead, who was only wearing a tight, black t-shirt with no shirt and thus no way to determine his rank.

Davis walked directly to the head of the table and greeted the two generals. Booth followed him and after the others finished their greeting, he saluted General O'Neill and said, "General O'Neil, sir. Major Booth, reporting for duty."

The general returned the salute and accepted the orders that Booth gave him. "At ease, Major."

Booth nodded and stood down. Cam and Angela watched Booth go military with open mouths and even Brennan, who had already seen him go military, was impressed by it. There was something decidely yummy about Booth wearing a military uniform and being all majorly.

As Booth turned and saluted Sam, Daniel walked further and started the introductions. "Some of you already know, Jack – General O'Neill, the head of HomeWorld Security." He then waved to the other general and the other two men in turn, "this is General Landry, CO of the SGC. Lt Colonel Cameron Mitchell, co-CO of SG1. Teal'c." He turned to Sam and said, "Lt Colonel Sam Carter, the other co-Co of SG1. Vala and myself are the other SG1 members." He added as an afterthought.

He then turned to Booth and the squints and introduced them, "This is Major Seeley Booth, Dr. Temperance Brennan, Dr. Zack Addy, Dr. Jack Hodgins, Dr. Camille Soroyan and Mrs. Angela Montenegro-Hodgins."

They all nodded greetings and Sam and Cameron told the squints to call them by their first name, like Daniel and Vala had done earlier. After all the greetings were done, Daniel suggested that everyone take a seat. Vala took a seat next to Teal'c as no one else seemed inclined to go next to the intimidating man. Brennan sat next to Sam, Booth next to Brennan, Zack next to him, Camille next to him and Jack and Angela next to her.

At a look from Daniel, Davis turned off the light and Daniel turned on the overhead and went staright to the point. "In 1928, Dr. Langford found in a dig near Giza an artifact made of material not found on Earth. It had been covered with stones that had inscriptions not found on any other Egyptian artifact. The US government has had it since then, studying it and trying to find out what it was and what it did. They did all sort of experiments but met only with limited results.

In 1994, Katherine Langford, Dr. Langford's daughter, attended one of my lectures. Afterwards, she offered me the choice to prove my theories right." He stopped as Brennan, Hodgins and Addy, obviously the only ones that knew what his theories were, all straightened and looked at each other but, though it was obvious they wanted to question him, they decided to wait for him to continue.

"I came to the mountain and we were able to determine that the artifact was called 'Stargate'. After much research and a bit of luck, we were also able to conclude that the seven symbols on the middle of the cover stones were not hieroglyphs but actually star constellations." As he talked, he changed the pictures to show what he was talking about.

"Now, as you probably know to find a destination within any three dimensional-space you need six points and to chart a course you need seven – the last being the point of origin. The seven symbols found on the cover stones were laid out in a particular pattern as in a map or an address. Once we verified that those symbols were also present on the 'Gate itself, we theorized that if they were dialed in that order we would be able to establish a stable wormhole between our 'Gate and wherever the other point was."

"A stable wormhole?" Brennan could no longer keep quiet and asked in a disbelieving tone.

"That's impossible," Zack commented. "Do you have any idea what would be needed to accomplish such a feat?" Zack's second PhD was in applied aeronautics and he was pretty sure what the older man was proposing was impossible.

Daniel smiled and said, "Well, no, not really. But Sam, here, knows all about it. Sam?" He said, giving her a chance to answer.

Sam leaned forward on the table and started to give a very scientific explanation as to how the 'Gate worked and how the artificial wormholes were established. The explanation was so detailed and specific that within five minutes anyone in the room without at least two PhD's had glazed eyes. Actually, even Daniel who had three PhD's was a bit glazy eyed and he had heard the explanation countless times in the past ten plus years.

Finally, Angela couldn't take it anymore and stopped Sam, "I'm sorry, and I know I can't speak for any one else, but you lost me with the second sentence. And I'm sure it's fascinating but I'm more interested in what happened _after_ the wormhole was formed than in _how_ it was formed. So, if anyone wants to know all of the technical details, how about they ask after we're finished here and let Daniel go on with his story?" She looked around and the others reluctantly nodded their heads, all except Camille who nodded enthusiastically. Angela then turned to Sam and said apologetically, "I'm sorry, nothing personal. But all that stuff is way over my head."

Sam smiled kindly and waved away the apology while Jack hid a smirk and Vala thought 'I knew I liked her.'

"Ok," Daniel said as he started talking again. "Once we found all the symbols on the 'Gate, we dialed them in the correct sequence and we were able to establish the wormhole. After sending through a probe and determining that there was a breathable atmosphere on the other side, we went through."

"We?" Booth, who up to that point had been quietly listening, asked.

Daniel nodded and said, "Jack and I were part of the original team that went through."

"And what did you find on the other side?" Angela, who was completely captivated by the story, asked.

Daniel smiled as he once again changed the picture on the overhead, "What did we find? We found that we are not alone in this galaxy; we found that we are not even the only humans in the galaxy."

"You found humans?" Brennan asked.

"Yes, we found a primitive but thriving civilization of humans. We suspected that they had been abducted from Earth by the same people who had left the 'Gate on Giza all those millennia ago. We verified that when Ra arrived while we were there."

"Ra?" Asked Hodgins, who up to that point had been quiet and looking like a kid that had been told Christmas had come early. "As in the Egyptian god?"

"The same. He belonged to a parasitic race that needs hosts to survived. Somehow, they had come to Earth and had taken human hosts from the early Egyptian population. They had also taken advantage of the Egyptian religion and had taken the roles of gods, enslaving the population until the population rebelled, expelled them from Earth and buried the 'Gate." He didn't mentioned how it was entirely possible that SG1 had had a pivotal role on that rebellion; there really was no need to confuse them any more than necessary. "But before going, they somehow took a number of humans and deposited them on Abydos – the planet we visited, as well as in a number of other planets."

"Wait," Brennan interrupted him, "you're saying that you traveled to another planet via this . . . Stargate and that there you found a group of humans that had been transplanted by a parasitic alien that had been impersonating an Egyptian god?"

"Exactly," Daniel answered, not noticing or ignoring the sarcasm in Brennan's tone. "Once we found out that the Abydonians were in fact being enslaved by Ra, we helped them get their freedom."

"And how did you help them?" Booth asked, curiously.

"Well," Daniel answered as he pushed his glasses up his nose, "Jack had brought a nuclear devise with him and we were able to get it to Ra's ship and blow it and Ra into a million little pieces." He explained with satisfaction. It may be small of him, but after everything he'd gone through at the hands of the Goa'ulds, Daniel found that he relished the memory of every Goa'uld they've killed.

Booth just nodded his head not bothering to ask why the general had taken a nuclear bomb with him in what should have been a recon mission.

"So," Angela asked eager to hear all the details. "What happened after you blew up Ra?"

"Jack and the surviving members of the team came back to Earth and we buried the 'Gate."

"The general and surviving members? You didn't come back with them?" Asked Booth. "That 'Gate you buried wasn't the one on Earth, was it?"

"No, it wasn't," Daniel answered as he got a distant look in his eyes. "I stayed back in Abydos." He stayed silent a few moments, remembering. However good his life was at the moment, memories of his time on Abydos and how it had ended, always made him a bit nostalgic.

Jack knew how talking about Abydos affected Daniel and surprisingly took up the telling. "We didn't bury our 'Gate. As far as we knew the threat had been neutralized when Ra had been killed. Less than two years later, we found out differently when aliens came through, killed four airmen and kidnap another."

"Wait," Brennan interrupted the telling once again, but this time Booth tried to stop her as she was interrupting a general. "If coming through is that easy, what's stopping anyone from coming and invading Earth?" She asked, what to her was, a very reasonable question was and judging by the faces of the squints, they thought so too.

"After the aliens came through," Daniel answered, once again being the spokesman, "we installed a titanium iris inches from the event horizon which prevents any matter from rematerializing."

Brennan nodded and sat back on her chair. She still wasn't sure she believed was she was being told, but she was still comforted hearing that all precautions had been taken.

After he saw that Brennan had accepted the explanation, Daniel continued, "Since we had all assumed that the 'Gate only worked between Earth and Abydos, Jack, Sam and a team were sent back to find out what had happened. When they got there, I assured them that they hadn't come from Abydos and took them to a chamber where I had found hundreds of other 'Gate addresses – mapping a vast network of 'Gates. Due to stellar drift, none of the combinations that had been tried from Earth had worked but Sam figured that based on the map, she could correct for the Doppler shift."

"And I'm assuming that she did?" Hodgins asked.

"Yes," Daniel answered as he shifted on his feet.

"But if that map gave you hundreds of addresses, how were you able to determine where had those aliens come from?" always the investigator, Booth asked.

"Well," Daniel answered as he pushed his glasses back up his nose again. "While we had been studying the other chamber, the aliens arrived at Abydos and abducted my wife and her brother."

Angela gasped at the news and had to ask, "Were you able to rescue her?"

Daniel shook his head and said, "One of the soldiers that had been on the 'Gate room was able to see the address as it was dialed. Unfortunately, by the time we got there, Sha're had already been made into a Goa'uld queen – the wife of Apophis, the Goa'uld who had been behind the kidnappings." Daniel paused a minute before continuing, "Though we had been captured and the Jaffas had been ordered to kill us, somehow Jack was able to convince Teal'c to help us. He did so, saving our lives, earning our gratitude and trust and becoming the fourth member of SG1." Of course, it hadn't been as easy as that but there was no need to go into all the details.

"Whoa," Hodgins said when it seemed as if Daniel was going to continue, "Jaffas? What are those? Aliens?"

"Yes," Daniel said simply. "Jaffas were once humans that had been genetically altered by the Goa'ulds to serve them as their armies and, well, basically as their incubators." Daniel explained.

"As incubators?" Zack asked.

Daniel nodded but it was Teal'c who answered. "The Jaffa were bred to serve that the Goa'uld may live." Teal'c repeated what he had told them when they first met him. "In return for carrying an infant Goa'uld until maturity, a Jaffa receives perfect health and long life." He explained in his deep and even voice.

"And you're," Hodgins ventured to ask what they were all thinking but weren't asking. "You're one of those?" And then he decided to go for it and also asked, "And what is that tattoo on your forehead?"

"Indeed," Teal'c answered, titling his head in the affirmative. "Until I followed O'Neill and joined in the Tauri fight against the Goa'uld, I was Apophis's First Prime. The tattoo," he hesitated on the word, but knew it was the best way to explain it, "is the mark of the First Prime."

"Tauri?" Zack asked as Hodgins asked, "First Prime?"

It was Daniel, once again, who answered, "Tauri is how the people from other worlds refer to Earth. And First Prime basically means that he was the general in charge of all of Apophis's armies."

"So, you're an alien?" Hodgins asked again just to be sure. Teal'c looked at him with a raised eyebrow but it was Vala who answered.

"Yep, muscles here," she said as she patted Teal'c on his muscled shoulder, "is an alien but then so am I." When Daniel just looked at her, she amended, "What? I'm human but I wasn't born on this lovely planet that means I'm an alien, doesn't it? And besides, don't forget that I was host to Qetesh for a while. I think that definitely makes me an alien." She was almost boasting about the fact that she had been a Goa'uld host.

Cameron just shook his head; where most people would want to blend in, Vala always wanted to be different. Still, he couldn't resist saying, "If that was the criteria, all of SG1, with the exception of yours truly, would be considered alien."

At that pronouncement, six pairs of eyes turned to the remaining three members of SG1. Sam sighed but answered easily enough, "For a brief time, I was host to the Tok'ra symbiote Jolinar of Malkshur." Before any one could ask, she explained. "The Tok'ra are Goa'uld who have a radically different ideology from the System Lords – that's what the Goa'ulds in power were called. They don't believe in taking a host by force," at Jack's snort, she amended, "when they have a choice. And they don't want everyone to worship them as gods. They've been our allies for a long time now."

After she finished explaining, everyone turned to Jack to see what he would say. It was clear by his expression, though, that he would not be as forthcoming as Sam was. Daniel knew how different the subject was for Jack and was just about to talk about his experiences with ascension when Brennan, unintentionally, brought them back to on track.

She had been following the exchange with half of her attention because something Teal'c had said earlier had caught her full attention. Finally, she couldn't keep quiet any more and looking at him asked, "How long?" At the curious glances that question garnered, she clarified it, "Just how long does your kind live?"

Teal'c looked at her and thought that DanielJackson was right and she was a very bright woman. "A long time," was his simple answer.

"Over a hundred years?" she insisted and Teal'c answered with another tilt of his head, "At least."

Brennan then turned to look at Jack and said, "That's why we're here. The second man, the one whose bone markers said he was over a hundred but whose musculature was of someone of thirty . . . you think he's one of these . . . these Jaffas, don't you?"

Jack nodded and said, "But we need you to confirm it as soon as possible."

As Brennan nodded, Cam who up to that point had been quiet asked her, "You believe them, then?"

Brennan turned to look at her and answered slowly, as if she was deciding as she was speaking, "I'm not sure. It sounds too fantastic to be real but they seemed to have a very coherent story and it would answer my questions about that body. Though it would be nice to see some prove," she added as she turned to look, almost demandingly, at Jack.

Teal'c gave a silent sigh as he prepared to show his pouch once more when the klaxon alerts went off. "Incoming wormhole!," could be heard throughout the base. With a private smile, he decided that a wormhole was much better proof.

Daniel, who had known Brennan would require proof and had turned with an 'I told you so' smile towards Jack, received a nod to open the blast doors. He did so and called Booth, Brennan and the rest of the squints over to the window so they could see the 'Gate. They went over just in time to see the last two chevrons locking on. After the final chevron locked on and the light turned red, a great whoosh of a water-like substance rushed out of the middle of the 'Gate; it then immediately went back in and the center of the ring-like artifact was covered in what appeared to be a rippling wall of water. A few seconds later, a man appeared and then another and another, until all of the four members of SG3 were back on base.

Booth and Brennan turned to look at each other and then back at the men who had appeared from a place where moments before there had been nothing. They then looked back at the 'Gate as the wall of water disappeared as rapidly as it had appeared and they could once again looked through it to verify that there was, in fact, nothing behind it.

**A/N2: **I want to thank rocks and glass for her review: you're right, I should have had them call Booth, Major Booth. I didn't because I'm used to the SG1 people calling each other by their last names, but he was just being introduced to them and the formalities should have been observed. I tried to correct that in this chapter and will use only Booth from now on. Let me know if you don't agree. And I want to acknowledge Octarina4eva, who gave me the idea for the Vala-Angela interaction: I hope you liked it! There will be more later on. One last thing, for those SG1 fans, I know that I made it seem that solving how to work the Stargate was a group effort when in fact, Daniel was solely responsible. I know that (I re-watched the movie and the pilot before writing this chapter) but I just don't think Daniel would blow his own horn, sort of speak. He _had_ to be the one to do the explaining and I couldn't write it as him saying "I discovered this and I found that out", it didn't sound like him at all. It took me a while before I found something I was comfortable with but I'm not sure if it's the best. Please review and let me know what you think. Ok, that's it for author's note. I hope you enjoyed it!


	7. Chapter 7

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer:** No, they're not mine, unfortunately.

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. I'm sorry it's taken a while but I was working on another story and I got betas!! I hadn't done it before because I didn't know how and I kind of liked writing and posting at the same time. But I got say, the slight wait because of the betas is definately worth it. They check my grammar (and that's always a good thing) and they give me feed back about how to make the chapter sound better. Sometimes, I get so involved in the story that I loose sight of the forest for the trees, so it's nice to get the input of someone outside my brain. I want to take the opportunity to thank them: Ann and snarkyrabidsquirrel, who helped me make this a better chapter. Please, read and review!!

**Chapter 7**

"Proof enough?" Jack asked.

Brennan stared at the Gate for another second; then she looked at Booth before turning to look at Jack and said, "Yes." And with a faint glimmer in her eye added, "It would be even better if we could go through."

"Maybe later. Right now, I think we should talk about the mission," Jack said with a smile.

Brennan looked like she'd like to argue, but Booth took her arm and steered her towards their chairs before she could say anything.

Hodgins was the last one to turn away from the window. Catching Daniel's eye, he asked, "So, where are the little grey men?" His voice had the tone of a man that had thought he'd stumbled upon gold, only to find that it was a shiny rock. "Don't tell me there are no little grey men."

Booth and Cam rolled their eyes.

"Hodgins!" hissed a very embarrassed Angela.

"The Asgards," Jack said smiling. "They're not around right now." The squints and Booth began to chuckle at the answer but Angela stopped when she caught the look on Jack's face.

"You're not kidding?" She asked, stopping before she finished sitting down. "There really are little grey men?" She asked incredulously.

"Yeah," Jack answered in a _"didn't I just say that?"_ tone. "The Asgards are one of the oldest races out there. In fact," he continued "since the Ancients are gone – they're the ones that build the Gates - and the Furlings are who knows where, the Asgards and the Nox are the oldest races. But unlike the Nox, the Asgards are our allies and have helped us with some kicking technology."

"That's probably because we helped them with their little replicator problem," Daniel said squeezing into the seat between Vala and Angela.

"Replicator problem?" Brennan asked turning to Booth, who just shrugged. He had no idea what they were talking about.

"Maybe," Jack said. "But they're not the only allies we've helped, and yet they're the only ones that have come to our aid without a hidden agenda; unlike some others. Besides, Thor is cool; he's my little buddy."

"You're just saying that because he named a ship after you," Sam said with a smile.

"And who was it that blew it up, huh?" The others could have sworn he was pouting.

"It was necessary and you know it," Sam said with a mock frown.

"Likely story, you just blew it up because it wasn't named after you," Jack accused and Sam just laughed. Booth shook his head, marveling at how they could joke about aliens and blowing up ships. His mind however brought him back to the investigation.

"How did you know that the man was this Joffu?" he asked.

"Jaffa," Daniel corrected. Booth nodded and continued.

"Right, Jaffa. Was Bones' examination enough?" Though Bones' conclusions were always enough for him, he knew that for most others (especially those in the military) they weren't enough and something more was usually required.

"Bones?" Asked a very confused Vala.

"That's Booth's nickname for Brennan." Angela supplied. Booth chose to ignore them and continued.

"After all, the middle of DC ball room is not where you'd expect to find an alien, is it?"

"No, it's not." Jack agreed. "But I've been with the SGC too long to ignore anything. Dr. Brennan's findings were enough for me to take a closer look and when I did, I found a vial that the Jaffa usually use to carry their tretonin. That's when I decided to classify the investigation and have the bodies brought to the SGC."

"I hope that they didn't compromise the bones by moving them." She said shaking her head.

"Bones!" Booth hissed. But Brennan ignored as usal him and kept her accusatory gaze on the general.

The glare Jack gave her had sent grown marines running for cover but Brennan just glared right back, not at all cowed by the powerful general. Jack had to hide his smile, impressed by the anthropologist. He had a soft spot for people who had the courage to stand by their convictions; and he respected anyone that stood up to him. Unfortunately, less and less people dared to do that since his promotion. That was one of the reasons he liked to hang out with SG1 so much; the promotion hadn't changed anything and they didn't have a problem with telling him exactly what they thought about any given subject. Apparently, the stars on his lapels didn't mean much to Dr. Brennan either, as she didn't seem to have a problem speaking her mind. She actually reminded Jack of Sam, though Sam had been more respectful in her insubordinations.

Sam caught Jack's look and smiled. She knew that despite the glare Dr. Brennan had just gone up in Jack's view. None the less, she decided to intervene.

"We took every care, Temperance." She said. "We made sure we followed established procedures." The look on Brennan's face screamed she wasn't convinced. Booth inwardly groaned at her constant challenge of the other officer's word.

"Have you run any tests on the bones yet?" Brennan asked.

"Yes, we needed to establish that he was in fact Jaffa." Sam answered. "Janet has also done a DNA test, but that's about it." Brennan nodded and Booth took the opportunity to change the subject.

"What's tretonin?" He asked. "You mentioned that earlier."

"Right," Jack said. He realized that they would have to know more about the background. "Daniel," He motioned for the other man to explain.

"Ok," Daniel said, shifting forward and putting his elbows on the table. "One of the main reasons Teal'c joined us was that he wanted to free his people from Goa'uld oppression. To do that, we needed to find a way to stop their dependence on the infant symbiotes. As long as they needed symbiotes to have healthy lives, they wouldn't ever really be free. Not to mention the fact that they would continue helping the Goa'uld reproduce."

"Why didn't they just stop carrying them around?" Camille wanted to know.

"They had been depending on them for so many centuries," Daniel started explaining, "that their physiology can't work without them anymore. If they don't receive a symbiote in their adolescence, they die. Fortunately, a few years ago we were able to synthesize a new drug that gave them all the same benefits of the symbiote without having to carry one around."

"But didn't that just changed one dependence for another?" Camille questioned.

"Yes," Sam acknowledged her question. "We know it's not a perfect solution but it's a step forward. At least this way, they're not helping the Goa'uld reproduce. We're still looking for a better solution and have hopes we'll get it soon." Camille nodded.

"I assume that this new drug is this tretonin?" She asked.

"Yes," Daniel answered. "When we finally defeated the System Lords a few years ago, most Jaffas were freed and most started to use the tretonin."

"Most?" Booth interjected.

"Yes, every System Lord had its own armies of Jaffas; when they were defeated the Jaffa gained their freedom. But not every Goa'uld was a System Lord and some of the lesser Goa'ulds took advantage of the power vacuum and consolidated smaller power bases with Jaffa loyal to them. They're so small that for the most part we don't bother with them. But if one of them was behind this attempt to blow up most of the top-ranking US military officers, we need to know. And then there's also Baal." Daniel finished with a grimace.

"Ba'al?" Brennan asked, noting the grimace. Daniel took a deep breath, debating whether to go with the long answer or short answer. He opted for the short one.

"The only System Lord that we've never really managed to defeat." The others nodded with grim faces; no one wanted Ba'al to be the one behind this.

"Daniel here told me that you guys can tell where a person was born, where they've lived and other interesting info like that?" Jack said, making it sound like a question. He wanted to bring the conversation back to the matter at hand and away from Baal.

Brennan nodded, "If you guys haven't tampered too much with the bones, yes, we should be able to find mineral traces that will tell us where he was born and lived. Although," she added looking thoughtful, "if he's an alien, we'll probably traces of minerals not found on Earth." She looked at Hodgins, who nodded.

"Dr. Brennan is right," he said. "We can run the standards tests but the results won't mean much if we don't have anything to compare them to." Sam nodded.

"Yes, I thought about that." She said. "We've been exploring different planets for the last ten years and we have quite a lot of data about the flora and fauna of most of them. We can compile lists of the planets where different Goa'ulds have bases and go from there."

"That could work," Hodgins said with a nod. "Though, it might not bad idea if we could go and take some samples ourselves." At the knowing looks on the faces of SG1, he added, "I'm not saying it just because I want to go through that thing." He paused and grinned. "Though God knows I do. But, and with all due respect to your scientists, there's no guarantee that they've collected the samples I'll need."

"Well, we'll cross that bridge when we get to it." Jack said, silently hoping they wouldn't. "If you need to go off-world, then you will. But right now, we need to find who these guys were and who they were working for. If they were working for a Goa'uld or if they've began to sell their services to the highest bidder and what their purpose was. And we can't discount Cameron's question of terrorism. I know a Goa'uld involved in terrorism is unlikely but a Goa'uld wanting to blow up a meeting of military personnel is just as unlikely. That's not how they usually work – and yet they did; we can't rule out anything at this point."

While the SGC personnel nodded in acknowledgement, Booth decided to ask the question that had been bothering him.

"Couldn't you have been the target?" The question brought silence to the room as everyone turned to look at him. Booth shrugged and continued, "It'd make sense. You're the head of the whole operation, right?" Jack nodded his assent. "And I'm assuming everyone knows?" Again a nod. "Then maybe the object wasn't to take out every top-ranking military officer but just you. I'm sure that your death would seriously affect the program."

"I'm not indispensable," Jack argued. "There are procedures in place in case something was to happen." He said in an attempt to shrug it off; but it was obvious from the look on his face that he had already considered the possibility.

"You've already thought of this, haven't you?" Sam's voice was tight. Jack sighed and gave a tight nod. "Why didn't you say anything?" She asked trying to keep her voice even.

"Because there was no point, not until we have something more concrete. The odds that I was the target are even slimmer than those of terrorism."

"You still should have said something," Sam bit back. She decided to leave it at that, this was something they would discuss later when they were alone.

As a small uncomfortable silence descended on the room, Angela took the opportunity to voice what had been on her mind.

"What I want to know is how there are two aliens running around on Earth and you don't know about it. If this is the only way to come to Earth and you're guarding it, how did these people get here?"

"Because, unfortunately," Sam sighed, "the Gate is not the only way to get to Earth. People can also get here in spaceships. And though we try to have at least one of our ships up there, most races have cloaking technology and thus can land undetected. We're been working on technology to detect them; once it's finished we plan to put a grid up in orbit."

Angela nodded while Zack and Hodgins exchanged amazed glances at the ambition of the project.

"Well," Jack said pushing back from the table. "I think that's all for now." He looked at Daniel, who nodded. "I'm sure you'll like to get started. Why don't Sam, Daniel and Vala take you all to tour the labs and Mitchell and Tealc take Major Booth in a tour of the armory and gym?" He then turned to Booth and asked him with a knowing grin, "Unless you'd like to go with the others to the labs?"

"No," Booth said with an answering grin. "Bones and the rest of the squints can tour the labs and I'll go with Col. Mitchell and Tealc."

Jack nodded and finished pushing up from the table, as he rose he said, "Dismissed."

Every military officer in the room rose at the same time and nodded at the dismissal. General Landry, who hadn't contributed much, rose to go to his office with Col. Davis. Jack meant to follow them but Sam put her hand on his arm and stepped closer stopping him.

Vala, who had also gotten up, saw the action. She turned to Daniel.

"Jack's in trouble." She said nodding towards the two. Daniel frowned and followed her gaze.

"Well, he shouldn't have kept it from her." Vala nodded.

"Maybe he just didn't want to worry her." She offered.

"Probably but he should know better than to try hide something like that from her," Daniel commented.

"I'm surprised she didn't think of it herself," Vala observed. Daniel nodded but something in her voice made him ask.

"Did you know?" Vala shrugged.

"It had occurred to me, yes." She admitted.

"Why didn't you say something?"

"I didn't think it was my place and there hasn't really been time. Besides, I really expected Sam to think of it by herself." Vala said with another shrug.

"Well, she didn't and now he's going to get it," Daniel predicted as they continued the observed the couple.

"Yep," she agreed with a smile. "I hope she doesn't hurt him too bad."

He grinned and shook his head. Angela, who was standing close to the couple, had heard the exchange and couldn't resist butting in.

"Excuse me, but isn't he the general in charge of everything? Why are you so worried about what the colonel can do to him?"

Vala and Daniel turned to her and realized that she didn't know about Jack and Sam's relationship.

"He might be the general but she's his wife. She doesn't like it when there are threats to his life she doesn't know about." Vala explained.

"They're married?" The surprise in Angela's voice was apparent. She again turned to study the other couple. "I thought Col. Davis said that General O'Neill led SG1 for many years?" Hodgins and Cam, who were next to her, looked at her wondering what she was thinking.

"Yes," Daniel answered. "Jack led SG1 for seven years before he was promoted to general."

"And Sam was part of SG1 during that time?" Daniel nodded.

"And they're married?" She repeated shaking her head as she turned and looked at Daniel with puzzled face. "Doesn't the military have rules about officers in the same of chain of command being involved in romantic relationships?" She was aware that Hodgins was surprised at her question but she had dated a JAG officer a few years ago and knew more about military law than she cared to think about.

"Yes, they do." Daniel answered simply. "That's why they've only been married for six months and together for about a couple of years. Despite having feelings for each other for years, they didn't do anything about them until they were no longer on the same chain of command." He explained remembering what his friends had had to go through to before they could be together.

"Hm," Angela said as she turned from studying the military couple to study Brennan and Booth. She thought there were some parallels there and wondered if she could get Bren to see them.

------------------------

When the general stood up, Booth automatically stood up too and Brennan had to marvel at how fast the military training had come back to him. He saw that Mitchell had stopped to have a word with Landry and sat back down.

"So," he said turning towards Brennan. "What do you think?" Brennan looked at him.

"I think Hodgins is in heaven." She said smirking. "Not only is this confirmation that there is life out there but also that they have been visiting us."

Booth grinned and nodded, remembering the case a year ago when they made fun of Hodgins because of his theories.

"I guess he was right, huh?"

"Apparently," she said softly. She paused before continuing. "Can you believe all this?" The amazement in her voice was clear. Booth took a deep breath.

"I think it's going to take a while for it to really sink in, you know?"

"Yeah," Brennan agreed. Colonel Mitchell walked up to them and asked if Booth was ready to go. Booth stood up.

"Yes, sir." Mitchell nodded and led the way. Booth leaned down towards Brennan.

"Bones, try and behave, will you?" She looked up at him and scrunched up her nose. He chuckled and turned to leave. As he left, she called him back and said,

"Hey, Booth, pay attention to the way because I'm going to want a tour to the armory myself later." Booth grinned back at her.

"You're not getting a gun Bones." He said before leaving. Brennan smiled and turned to see Zack.

"Zack, are you ok?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure, Dr. Brennan." He answered in a lost voice. "This is…it's just…" He trailed off, shaking his head at his loss of words.

"Unbelievable?" she supplied. Zack nodded. "Yeah, I know. It is pretty unbelievable. But it is true so I guess we're just going to have to believe it."

"I know," he replied. "It's just…" He trailed off again. "Do you think they'll let us go through it?" He asked suddenly.

"I'll make sure of it." She said laughing.

------------------

"You knew," Sam said simply, staring at Jack.

"Sam," Jack said as he sighed and raked his fingers through his hair. "I didn't know but I . . . suspected."

"Why didn't you say something?" She asked.

"There was nothing to say," he began to explain but she cut him off.

"Nothing to say?" she asked, disbelievingly. "Someone could have been trying to get you kill and you think there's nothing to say?"

"First of all," he responded. "Calm down. Second, I said I suspected not that I knew the attempt was against me personally. So, there really was nothing to say – except speculation."

"You could have told me what you suspected, Jack. This is not the type of information one keeps to oneself," she argued forcibly. Jack knew that if they had been anywhere else but the conference room at the SGC surrounded by SGC personnel, she would be yelling her head off.

"I'm sorry, Sam." He apologized to try and contain things before they got out of control. "It just never occurred to me. It wasn't like there were discussions about this or a memo or like I deliberately kept it from you. It was just something that crossed my mind a time or two, you know." He finished with a shrug.

"You could still have mentioned it," She said but with less heat.

"Yeah, probably." He agreed. "I just, well, honestly, I guess I just thought you'd have thought of it yourself."

Sam nodded, the fact that she hadn't was the real reason she'd had been so upset.

"I just thought you were safe working in DC and I only had to worry when you went in a mission," she confessed.

Jack looked at surprised and debated whether he should break her illusions or not. At the end he decided to be truthful.

"Sam, I'm a two-star general in charge of the most secret program in the world. Yeah, most days the most I have to worry about are paper cuts and falling into a comma out of sheer boredom. But," he paused and sighed deeply, "I can't discount the possibility that someone may try to get to me. And it's not just because of the SGC either. A general is a powerful person, Sam. And powerful persons tend to attract attention and enemies."

At her worried face, he took her hand and squeezed it.

"Don't worry, Sam. The chances that something can happen are slim," he started only to be interrupted.

"Like the chances of a Jaffa trying to blow up a room full of military officers?" She asked.

He glared at her for throwing his words back in his face and then sighed again at the worry on her face.

"Sam, please don't worry. I can't ignore the possibility but it's not like I worry about it all the time. It's just something to keep in mind. It's not that different from when I was in SG1 – people were always wanting to kill me, remember?" He joked, trying to light the mood.

Sam smiled a little but wasn't really relieved. She then looked around and noticed something for the first time.

"Jack?" She asked. "Where's you protective detail?"

Jack grimaced; he had been hoping she wouldn't notice.

"They are around," he answered vaguely. Having a couple of secret service agents following him around was _not_ something he liked, enjoyed or appreciated.

"Jack," she reprimanded. "They're not supposed to be 'around'. They're supposed to be wherever you are." She paused at the look on his face. "You sent them someplace, didn't you?"

"I might have said that they should be upside guarding the entrance to the mountain because no one could get to me in here." He explained with a shrug.

"Jack!" she protested, exasperated. "That's not true and you know it. They should be here next to you, guarding you." He grimaced at that. "I know you don't like the idea that you need protection but like you just said you're a general now. So, start acting like one and call them back, Jack." She said in her 'don't mess with me' tone.

"Ok," he gave in. "But, if I'm going to have a couple of goons following me around, so are you and the rest of SG1." He declared.

"Really?" She asked as her eyebrows went up. "And why is that? I'm assuming you do have a reason other than just wanting everyone to suffer with you?"

"Yes, I have a reason," he answered seriously. "If someone did try to kill me, it was probably to disrupt the SGC. What better way to accomplish that than to try for SG1? Yes, they might try for me again but they might also try to get to one of you. So, if we're going to assume disrupting the SGC was the motive, all of you are going to have a couple of guards from now on." He declared.

"_All_ of us?"

"Yep, _all_ of you: You, Vala, Danny-boy, Mitchell and Teal'c."

"Oh, they're going to love that, especially Mitchell and Teal'c." she said sarcastically.

"I don't care; they'll just have to deal with it." Jack said, in full general mode. "Now, go and play with the other scientists. I'm sure you're going to have a blast." He added with a smirk. "I have to go and see about those guards."

"Jack," she said softly as he was turning to leave.

"Sam, don't worry." He said, softly. "I'll be fine; we'll be fine." He smiled and she smiled back; she just couldn't resist that smile. "Go on and have fun being all scientisty."

"I love you," she mouthed before he turned. He mouthed it back and she smiled as she saw him turned and walked away. With a deep breath, she turned and walked towards where everyone was waiting for her. Jack might be exasperating at times, but he knew her better than anyone and he was right when he said she'll have a blast working with these new scientists.


	8. Chapter 8

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, they still don't belong to me.

**A/N: **I'm sorry it's taken so long to update. I went to New York for a few days and had such a great time that I think my muse decided to stay there because I've had the hardest time trying to write. But I finally finished this chapter and I already started with the next one, so hopefully it won't be so long next time. I want to thank my betas: snarkyrabidsquirrel and Ann, who help me write a better chapter. For rock and glass, who pointed out that Jack could still be Sam's CO and for those that might have had the same question: Jack isn't CO of the SGC but rather head of Homeworld Security, which oversees everything related to the 'Gate. Now, that might sound like the same thing but it's not really and as I briefly mention at the end of the chapter (and really explained in one of my earliest stories) they got a special order and are not in the same chain of command. Lastly, and I forgot to mention this in the earliest chapters, I must acknowledge Gateworld - an awsome website for anything 'Gate related and the place I go to for any detail I don't remember. Ok, that's it. Here's the next chapter, read and enjoy and please, review!!

**Chapter 8**

"Ok," Sam said as she clapped her hands. "Shall we go?"

"Yes," Brennan said as she pushed back from the table and stood up. "Let's go. The sooner I can examine the bones, the sooner we can get answers."

Sam smiled at the other woman's enthusiasm and nodded. "Well, then. This way," she said as she waved Brennan and Zack ahead of her. She turned and smiled at Daniel and Vala before following the two scientists out the door.

"I bet you guys have some pretty sweet equipment here, huh? And to think I was so worried about not having the right equipment to work with that I even brought a couple of my smaller microscopes," Hodgins commented as he turned to look at Daniel.

"Oh, I don't think you'll need them," Daniel said as he escorted Hodgins from the room.

"So, do you want to join them in the boring lab tour or would you to go on a fun tour of the most interesting part of the SGC?" Vala asked Angela as Sam was talking to Brennan.

"Interesting," Angela smiled and nodded. "And what would this tour include?"

"Well," Vala answered as she wound her arm through Angela's and started leading her out of the conference room following Daniel and Hodgins. "It won't be a long tour. This is, after all, a military base so there's a built-in limit in how much fun we can have."

"Of course," Angela agreed with the disclaimer.

"Hey, Daniel, Angela and I are taking a different tour, ok?" Vala called out to Daniel, as she and Angela crossed the door's threshold.

Daniel and Hodgins looked back and Daniel said, "Ok," as he waved and turned back. He knew that Vala would have been bored following them around and a bored Vala was an unpredictable Vala, well, more so than usual. It was probably better if she was somewhere else. Hodgins looked at his wife, and with a wink and a wave headed out behind Daniel. He knew Angela would not have enjoyed the lab tour either.

After waving at the men, Vala turned and continued their conversation. "Still, there is _some_ fun to be had. We can start with the gym – always a good place. You can always find a few young, strapping marines or air force men working out and even practicing some karate or boxing and at least half the time, they're not wearing t-shirts," she finished with a light leer.

"That does sound like fun, but what does that hunky Daniel say about you ogling half-dressed young men?" Angela asked with a laugh.

"Oh, Daniel knows that I love him," Vala answered airily. "But that doesn't mean that I'm blind or that I can't appreciate the beauty of the human body, does it?"

"No," Angela agreed with a smile as she remembered that she had told almost the same thing to Brennan earlier on the week. "It doesn't. And as an artist, I'm always open to the study of the human body."

"Good," Vala nodded. "Then that'll be our first stop. We can also go to the mess hall; the food isn't the best but it's not bad either. And they have pretty good desserts, especially when Jack comes to visit – he's well known for his sweet tooth."

"That sounds like the perfect place to end the tour," Angela commented.

"It is," Vala nodded. "Ok, we have our last stop. In between, we can go to the firing range. Have you ever fired a gun?" She asked Angela.

"No," Angela shook her head. "I haven't ever even picked one up."

"Well, maybe it's time you did," Vala told her. "It can pretty therapeutic, you know. And if you don't want to try it, well, we can always just continue our study of the beauty of the human body. It's amazing how sexy a man can look when he's firing a weapon, don't you think?" She asked.

"Um," Angela said with a small smile. "Don't tell Hodgins I said this, but yeah, I totally know what you mean. I think Bren would say that the image appeals to our primal instincts or something."

Vala just looked at her a moment and then said, "Okay? Well, anyway, we could also stop by the security office and check out the security monitors. You wouldn't believe some of the things people do when they forget someone's watching."

"That sounds like fun," Angela admitted. "But isn't it a bit of invasion of privacy?"

"Why would it be? The cameras are not in any quarters, bathroom or locker room. And everyone knows that every corridor, lab or common room has cameras. It's not my fault if they forget about them, is it?"

"No, I guess not," Angela had to agree with a bemused smile.

"It's not," Vala said firmly as she pressed the button to call for the elevator. She turned back to face Angela and continued, "We should also stop by the infirmary at some point."

"The infirmary?" Angela asked dubiously, that would not be a stop she'd associate with a fun tour.

"Yes, not only is Janet a great person but the infirmary is the gossip central in this place. The nurses always know the latest gossips; I try to stop by at least once a day to keep up."

Angela laughed again and was about to respond when they heard a shout.

"Ms. Mal Doran! Please, wait." Both women turned towards the sound and saw a young marine hurrying to catch up to them.

"Thank you for waiting, ma'am," he said once he reached them.

"Sergeant, do you need anything?" Vala asked with a nod. Angela was impressed by the eased with which the other woman recognized the man's rank.

"General O'Neill sent me to find you," he said.

"Is everything ok? Does he need me for anything?" Vala asked.

"No, ma'am," the sergeant answered. "Everything's fine as far as I know. I'm to be your escort for the remaining of the day."

"Escort?" Vala asked. "Since when do I need an escort? Especially when I'm inside the SGC?"

The sergeant shrugged and said, "All I know is that my orders are 'to stick to you like glue and not to let you out of my sight.'"

"That sounds like a direct quote from Jack," Vala commented with a smile.

The sergeant returned the smile and confirmed the suspicion. "It is."

"And he didn't say anything else that might explain this?" She asked.

"No," the sergeant shook his head. "He just told us that you and the rest of SG1 are to be guarded at all times from now until further notice. If we should lose sight of any of you for even a second and something were to happen in that second, our careers won't be worth the paper our reprimand will be written on."

Vala nodded her head and sighed in acceptance. "Ok, well, come on. But try and keep up, will you?"

"Yes, ma'am," the Sgt. agreed and followed the two women into the elevator.

Angela looked at the Sgt., who had taken his place at the side of the elevator, and then back at Vala.

"This is not because of us, is it?" she asked Vala.

"What?" Vala looked back at Angela and then followed her gaze to the Sgt. "Oh, him following me around?" At Angela's nod, she answered. "No, I don't think so. I think it's probably related to last night's explosion."

"Last night's explosion?" Angela repeated. "What makes say that?"

"Well, I noticed this morning that Jack's protective detail wasn't around," she began. "That's nothing new because he usually manages to leave them somewhere else whenever he comes to visit. And Sam usually lets him get away with it because she agrees there's no threat here, but I'm sure last night's explosion and the speculation that he might have been the target changed that. I'm sure that part of the discussion they had a bit ago included him calling his protective detail back."

"Ok," Angela said slowly in a confused tone. "But what does that have to do with you having an escort?" She asked and then went on, "Unless you're saying that because he has to have them following him around, he wants you all to suffer with him."

"Wellll," Vala said on a laugh.

"But he's a general!" Angela protested. "He can't be that childish, can he?"

"Where is it written that a general can't be childish?" Vala asked and Angela nodded, conceding the point. "But you're right; he wouldn't do that. He may enjoy annoying others -- especially Daniel -- and the entertainment value of something like this would be high but he wouldn't play around like this when we're in the middle of a crisis. No, he must have a good reason for ordering escorts for all of us."

The elevator stopped at their floor and Vala stepped out, followed by Angela and the sergeant.

"And that's it? 'He must have a good reason' is good enough for you?" Angela asked after a few seconds.

"Yes," Vala answered as if it was the most obvious answer, "Of course. He's the general and however childish he might sometimes be, he's still a heck of a leader and great at tactics. If he thinks we need an escort, then that's enough for me."

"And for the rest of SG1?" Angela wanted to know.

"Well, it'll be enough for Sam and Mitchell, for Teal'c and Daniel . . . probably not. But then, Jack is perverse enough that he's probably looking forward to their objections. Oh," she said as she reached forward to open a door. "Here we are! Come on," she called to Angela as she entered the gym.

Angela followed the other woman, wondering about the weird dynamics that seemed to exist in the SGC.

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"Well, here we are." Mitchell said as he opened a steel door and preceded Booth and Teal'c inside. "This is the armory."

Booth looked around and said, "It's big."

"Yes, it is." Mitchell answered. "We have other smaller armories throughout the facility in case we have a foothold situation, but this is the main one where most of the weaponry is kept."

"How accurate is it?" Booth asked as picked up a P90, a compact submachine gun, to inspect it.

"Pretty accurate," Mitchell answered. "Though, probably no where near as accurate as a sniper riffle."

"No," Booth agreed, almost absentminded. "Probably not. They seemed pretty light."

"Yes," it was Mitchell's time to agree as he too picked one up. "They are but then we carry them with us during all our missions and sometimes we even have to run with them. We need them to be light." Booth nodded

"Nice, easy reload. I imagine it doesn't usually stick?" Booth asked Mitchell as he expertly pulled the P90 apart and put it back together again.

"It would defeat the purpose otherwise," Mitchell replied, shaking his head.

"Right," Booth agreed as he put the weapon back. "Well, you're right," he said as he moved towards another display. "They're not a rifle but they seem pretty good." He picked up a black serpent-like weapon and looking back at Mitchell and Teal'c, asked, "This must be an alien weapon, right?"

"Right," Mitchell answered. "That's a 'zat' gun."

"A 'zat' gun?" Booth asked. "That doesn't sound very alien-y."

"No," Mitchell replied with a chuckle. "I guess it doesn't it but that may be because that's not its real name. The real name is zat'kin. . . zat'kit . . . Teal'c," he finally gave in and asked the other man, who had been silent up to that point.

"The real name for that weapon is zat'ni'katel," Teal'c informed Booth.

"Zat'nik. . . zat'nika. . . well, that's a mouthful. I can see why you call it a 'zat' gun," Booth commented as he examined the alien weapon.

"O'Neill was the one to shorten its name when he too had problems pronouncing the full name," Teal'c informed him from his position by the door. He was standing with his hands behind his back, his feet apart and his face expressionless as always. Booth looked back at him and then turned to Mitchell.

"Is it me or is he always this . . . terse?" Booth asked Mitchell in a low voice.

"Don't worry," Mitchell answered with another chuckle. "It's not you. He's always like that."

"Good." Booth nodded. "So, how does this work, exactly?"

"Well," Mitchell began; he paused to pick up another 'zat' and showed Booth the right way of holding it. "You hold it like this and you activate it like this." He pressed a button and the snake-like top of the weapon shot up, like a serpent uncoiling. "If you want to shoot someone, you press the button again."

"And if I shoot someone, what would happen?" Booth asked as he activated his weapon.

"The 'zat' uses some form of energy that will render anyone you aim at unconscious with the first shot. A second shot will kill most everybody and a third will disintegrate not only a person but also inanimate objects." Mitchell explained.

"Oh," Booth looked at the weapon in his hand with greater respect. "Does it make any sound?" He wanted to know as he put it back down, carefully.

"Nope," Mitchell answered. "Not a peep."

"That must come in handy," Booth murmured and Mitchell agreed. Then, thinking what Bones's reaction to a non-lethal weapon would be, he asked, "You guys think we could keep this weapon and what it does from my partner?"

"Sure," Mitchell answered with a shrug after sharing a look with Teal'c. "I don't see why not. It's not like they're going to have much contact with the weapons, anyway."

"You don't know, Bones." Booth said shaking his head. "She already told me she wants a tour of the armory and she always finds a way to do what she wants. If I don't bring her, she'll get someone else to do it; and I just know that she's going to want one of these as soon as she finds out what they are." He finished with a worried frown.

"She's an anthropologist, what would she want with a weapon?" Mitchell asked, intrigued by Booth's frown and worried tone.

"You don't know Bones." Booth repeated on a deep sigh. "Dr. Brennan isn't your 'normal' anthropologist. She knows countless types of martial arts, has hunting licenses in at least four states and has been after me to give her a gun since we started working together." He paused and shook his head before continuing, "I've resisted so far because, well, frankly, she's trigger happy and my boss is not about to expose the FBI to all the litigation she'll bring. But if she finds there's a weapon that she could shoot at whomever she wants without killing them, well, let's just say she's really going to want one."

"She can want it all she likes," Mitchell said, amused at how worried the other man seemed to be about his partner's reaction would be. "But this is a top-secret facility and none of the technology you see here is cleared for the civilian world."

"Yes, there is that," Booth said slowly, wondering if that'll be enough to curb Bones's enthusiasm. He walked to another display and saw a really long weapon. "Is this another alien weapon?"

"Yes, that's a staff weapon," Mitchell answered, motioning towards the several feet long weapon. "It's the primary weapon of the Jaffa."

"How does it work?" Booth asked as he picked it up and tried to get a feel for it.

"It is powered by liquid naquadah and when activated, it releases a strong bolt of plasma energy," was the answer.

"I don't think you can be very accurate with this weapon," Booth commented as he turned the weapon over in his hands.

"No, accuracy is not really the point of the staff weapon, terror and intimidation are," Mitchell explain but was stopped from saying anything else by Teal'c's glare.

"You may have a problem with accuracy when using a staff weapon, Colonel Mitchell," Teal'c admonished. Though he used his usual tone even Booth, who didn't really know him, could tell that he was upset. "But for those that have trained for years with it, the staff weapon is a most efficient weapon. Not only is it as accurate as you could wish, but it can also be quite useful in hand to hand combat."

"You're right, Teal'c," Mitchell said after looking at Teal'c for a few moments. "A staff weapon can be a deadly accurate weapon in the hands of a trained Jaffa."

Booth shook his head, amused at how a subtle change in tone from the big man was enough to bring down the cocky air force colonel.

"Do you have a firing range close by?" He inquired because he was itching to try some of these weapons.

"Sure," Mitchell answered, happy to change the subject. "Do you want to try them?"

"Yes, could we? There's not much I can do until Bones and the squints ran some of their tests and that could take hours if not days," Booth said.

"Ok," Mitchell nodded as he started to pick up ammunition and weapons for them to try, "but you're going to have to tell me why you call her Bones and the rest of the team squints."

Before Booth could respond the door was opened and a couple of marine sergeants walked in.

"Colonel Mitchell, sir?" One of them said.

"Yes, sergeant is something wrong?" Mitchell asked as he and Booth finished grabbing what they wanted.

"No, sir," the sergeant answered. "General O'Neill sent us with orders to be yours and Teal'c's escorts for the remaining of the day."

Both Teal'c and Mitchell turned slowly to look at the marine and then just stared at him for a minute while the young man squirmed, wishing it had been anyone else that had gotten this detail – but then thinking that he could have gotten Dr. Jackson and that would have been worse.

"Excuse me?" Mitchell finally said. "Escorts? We don't need escorts."

"I'm sorry, sir." The marine was apologetic but he made no effort to leave. "But the general ordered us to stick to you like glue and if you don't mind, that is exactly what we're going to do. If we don't . . ." The two marines exchanged looks before the second one spoke up.

"You know how the general is, sir," he appealed to Mitchell. "And he didn't look like he was kidding."

"You talked to the General O'Neill directly?"

"Yes, sir. And he said . . ." the marine trailed off and again shared a look with his companion.

"What did he say? Finish what you were going to say," urged Mitchell.

"Well, sir, he said to tell you 'the guards are going to follow you around whether you like it or not. And that's an order,' if you were difficult, sir." The marine finally said.

It was obvious that whatever was going on, the marines didn't know anything about it. There was no point in making things difficult for them. They were just following orders and doing their jobs, which was what Mitchell was going to have to do. Besides, if the general had ordered guards, he must have a good reason.

"It seems I have no choice then," he said with a shrug and the two marines relaxed. "We're taking the major here to the firing range to show him how these babies work," he said patting the zat gun he'd taken. "You might as well come and do some shooting yourselves." The marines smiled and nodded, there wasn't much they enjoyed more than target practice. As they moved to picked up some weapons, Mitchell said, "The major here is a sniper, you think we can keep up with him?"

"Yes, sir," One of them said as both grinned wider.

"We'll see, won't we?" Booth said, amused at the marines enthusiasm and confidence. He couldn't help sounding smug himself; there weren't many people that could best him in shooting – whatever the marines thought. With laughs and good natured joking, they left the armory and Booth marveled at how easy it was to fall back into the military rhythm.

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"When do you think we'll get some answers?" Sam asked Brennan as they walked toward the labs. Brennan was looking around her, trying to familiarize herself with her new surroundings but all of the hallways looked the same to her and she couldn't quite get her bearings.

"I'm not sure," she responded with a shrug, "It'd depend on what kind of equipment you have but I don't think we'd have anything before tomorrow evening at the earliest."

"Yes, Janet mentioned some of the tests you might do and they all sound very complex and lengthy." Sam replied with a nod.

"Yes, they are," Brennan agreed. "Who's Janet? That's the second time you mention her."

"Janet is our CMO," at Brennan's blank look, she explained, "Chief Medical Officer, she's also one of my best friends."

Brennan nodded but the mention of best friends had her turning around to look for Angela.

"Where's Angela?" She asked as she turned her head this way and that trying to find her.

Sam also turned around at the question and noticed that they were also missing Vala, "She's probably with Vala."

"You think?" Brennan asked, as she turned to look at Sam.

"Um," Sam nodded. "I should have known that Vala would find a way to get out this tour. She finds this type of things boring."

"Yes," Brennan chuckled. "Angela doesn't much care for this kind of thing either. So, you think they're together?"

"Yes," Sam answered. "I'm sure Daniel would know." She then turned around and shouted, "Hey, Daniel, where are Vala and Angela?"

"Vala said something about taking Angela on a different tour," Daniel called back.

"Ok," Sam said and turned back to Brennan. "See, they're together. I bet you one of their stops is the gym; Vala likes to look at sweating men."

"So does Angela," Brennan agreed with a grin.

"Do you think their tour is more interesting than ours?" Sam asked seriously. Brennan turned to look at her.

"You mean that a few sweating men could be more interesting than the bones of two dead men and the technology to find out who they were?" Brennan asked just as seriously.

"Nah, not possible," they said in unison before they started laughing.

"They seemed to be getting along pretty well," Daniel told Hodgins, who was walking next to him, when he heard the laughter.

"Yeah," Hodgins answered, somewhat surprised. "It must be because Sam is a scientist and they speak the same language because let me tell you, it usually takes a lot longer for the doc to warm up to somebody – and for the other person to warm up to the doc."

"Really?" Daniel asked. "She seems pretty nice."

"Oh, she is," Hodgins agreed. "Don't get me wrong, she's a great person, it's just that well . . . she can be somewhat abrupt, has almost no tact and is clueless when it comes to pop culture. Though, to be fair, she's changed since she started working with Booth – she's become more accessible. She's no longer lost in her own science world all the time."

They had arrived at the lab and were about to enter when they heard a shout.

"Colonel Carter!"

Sam stopped and turned to see a couple of marines hurrying to catch up to them.

"Oh, boy," she said under her breath. "Here they come."

"What? Who comes?" asked Brennan as she too turned to look who had called.

"Colonel Carter, sir," the first marine said as both came to a stop before the group.

"Sergeant, may I help you?" she asked but she didn't really sound too surprised to see them there.

"Ma'am, General O'Neill sent us." The first marine starting explaining, "We're to be your escorts for the remaining of the day."

Sam sighed and nodded, she had hoped Jack had been bluffing but she had known better.

"Ok, well. We're going to be here so," she waved around to the lab and trailed off.

"Wait," Daniel said as he moved closer to Sam while looking closely at the marines. He tilted his head and he pushed his glasses up his nose before repeating, "Wait a minute. What is this about having escorts?" He then turned to Sam and asked her, "And why don't you sound surprise about it?"

"Because I'm not," Sam answered with a shrug. "Jack told me that he was going to assigned guards to all of SG1."

"Why?" Daniel asked again. "Just because he has to have a couple of guys following him around doesn't mean we have to have them too. Why are you ok with? He's just messing with us."

"He's not messing with us Daniel," Sam sighed. "You know he wouldn't do that." At Daniel's snort and disbelieving look, she allowed, "Ok, he would but not during a crisis."

"Ok, you're right." Daniel said, grudgingly nodding at the caveat. "Why is he doing it, then?"

"He thinks that if the explosion was for him and it was done to destabilize the SGC, whoever is behind it might decide to go after one us; he says that would have the same effect on the SGC." Sam explained.

"And you agreed with him?" Daniel wanted to know.

"I don't know, Daniel." Sam answered with a shrug. "I wouldn't think so, but then I didn't think that Jack could have been the target last night – so, what do I know?" She said sounding upset with herself.

"Sam," Daniel said in a softer tone. "Don't beat yourself up. There's no reason why you should have thought of it."

"Maybe, maybe not," she said with another shrug. "But the fact is that this is what he does and what he's best at. And whether we agree or not, he's the general so we have to do what he says."

"I don't understand how you can live with him and just accept that he can order you to do stuff you don't want to do." Daniel said after he snorted again.

"I can live with him quiet easily actually," Sam said with a laugh. "And he doesn't just order me to do anything. This is a special case because it involves our safety. You know that normally we're not in the same chain of command. My orders come directly from Landry, who receives them for the Joint Chiefs."

"Yeah, yeah." Daniel said as they entered the lab followed by the squints and the marines. "I know but I still don't know how you can stand him when he can be such a pain."

"He just likes to annoy you, Daniel. Besides he more than makes up for it in other ways, believe me. Well, to me anyways." Sam said with a laugh and a smirk.

"Ugh, Sam! Too much information," Daniel complained as Sam, Camille and Hodgins laughed. Brennan and Zack just looked at each other.

"Ok," Sam said after a moment. "Let's get to work." And with that, everyone turned serious and got down to work.

**A/N2: **One last thing, I want to thank rock and glass who gave me the idea for the 'Bones and the zat' scene as well as bringing in the guards, which I really wasn't going to do. I also want to thank Octarina4eva, who a few chapters ago wrote who hilarious Angela and Vala would be together and made me really think what those two would be like together (they're two of my favorite characters) - I hope I didn't disapoint and next chapter there'll be more of them. I want to thank everyone who've review and has given me suggestions, if I've used one of your suggestion and haven't given you credit, I humbly apologize. I try to keep up but it's hard. Keep the suggestions coming as you can see I take them seriously as they really inspire me.


	9. Chapter 9

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **No matter how much I wishem them to be, the sad true is that they don't belong to me.

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. I didn't really take too long this time, did I? I just hope you like guys like this chapter more than you liked the last one because I barely got any reviews and the hits were way down too. Maybe it was because of the holiday and peole just didn't see it. But you guys had me somewhat spoiled, I was getting at least ten reviews for chapter and suddenly down to three, _pout_, I was kind of sad actually. But, I still posted a brand new chapter less than a week later - aren't I nice :) Ok, I do want to thank my betas, who really help me write better chapters and to those that did review: Ellie 5192, evedllas and mendenbar (who reviews every chapter) and there was one anon - a big thanks, you guys make my day! And for those that are fans of both shows, you should like this chapter and should anyone that's a fan of Angela and Vala. For those that are only Bones fans, I hope you don't find it too SG1 heavy, but it is a crossover and I've recieves a lot of reviews of fans of both shows, who like the fact I use every character - so this is for them! Ok, apparently I don't know how to write a short author's note so without further ado . . . enjoy!!

**Chapter 9**

"Well, that was way more interesting than a tour of the lab would have been," Angela said as she and Vala sat down with cake in the mess hall a couple of hours later.

"Wasn't it though?" Vala asked with a big grin. She took a big bite of her cake and continued, "I told you my tour would be more fun. And it was also more informative. I mean, would you have known that sergeants Michaels and Lopes are an item if you'd had gone on that boring tour?"

"No," Angela agreed seriously. "I wouldn't; just as I wouldn't know that Lieutenant Reynolds beat Sergeant Johnson for the first time in hand to hand."

"See," Vala said as she pointed her spoon at Angela in emphasis. "And those are two very important pieces of information, aren't they?"

"Oh, I know, I know," Angela agreed again in all seriousness. Then they looked at each other and burst out laughing. A few moments later after they quieted down, she asked, "So, tell me about you and Daniel."

"Oh," Vala said with a knowing grin. "That's a rather long story. What would you like to know?"

"Well," Angela began as she took a bit of cake. "Oh, this _is _really good," she said and then stopped to savor another bite.

"I told you," Vala agreed as she too savored her dessert. "The cooks really pull out all the stops when Jack comes to visit."

"I'm glad." Angela said. "But back to the topic. How did you two meet?" She asked. "I mean you're . . ." She hesitated and settled for, "Well, you're not from around here," she waved around to indicate everything from the SGC to Earth. "And you don't seem the military type, so how come you're working for the US Air Force in the most secret facility in the world?"

"Ah, well, that's another long story," Vala answered coyly.

"You mentioned something about being a host," Angela commented.

"Yeah, I was host to Qetesh," Vala agreed.

"Did they help you to well, get rid of it?" Angela asked, not quite sure how to phrase the question.

"No," Vala answered as she stared off into space and played with her spoon. "I was able to get rid of her by myself."

Angela wanted to ask how she'd done it but Vala's body language made it clear it wasn't a comfortable subject for her.

"So how did you meet Daniel?" She went back to the first question.

"Well, I was in business by myself. You know doing some free-lancing," Vala began as she licked the last of the fudge from her spoon.

"Free-lancing?" Angela repeated as she leaned back in her seat and took a sip of water.

"Yeah, selling and . . . buying artifacts." Vala answered with a twinkle in her eyes. "Anyway, I had a job that required a large vessel and I'd heard that the SGC was taking the 'Prometheus' over to the Pegasus Galaxy."

"The Prometheus?" Angela asked, interrupting Vala's story. "Going to another galaxy?" She didn't know why that was so surprising after everything she'd learn that day.

"Um," Vala nodded. "The Prometheus was Earth's first ship capable of interstellar travel. They were on their way to Pegasus to check on the team that had gone over to Atlantis."

"Atlantis?" Angela asked, incredulous. "You mean the Lost City of Atlantis? They found it and it's on another galaxy?"

"Ah, yes," Vala answered slowly. "But you know what, you're probably not cleared to know this so why don't we just forget it?"

"Oh, come on," Angela cajoled. "No one will know if you tell me. I promise I won't tell a soul," she promised solemnly.

"It's not that," Vala began, not knowing how to get out of the predicament. She'd been in the SGC too long and knew better than to tell confidential information to non-authorized personnel. Before she had time to say anything else, though, Zack stopped by their table.

"Angela," Zack said, surprising both women.

"Zack!" Angela said. "What are you doing here?"

"Getting a snack," was the simple answer. "You?"

"The same," Angela answered with a smile. "Did you enjoy the tour of the lab?"

"Oh, yes," Zack answered enthusiastically with a face that Vala knew well because Daniel got it every time he found a new artifact.

"I'm going to go get some coffee," Vala said, taking the opportunity Zack presented. "Do you want some?" she asked Angela.

"Yes please," Angela said as she turned briefly towards Vala with a small smile. She too knew the face Zack was wearing having seen it numerous times on Zack, Jack and Brennan's faces. She knew she was in for a mini lecture.

"Sugar? Milk?" Vala asked.

"Sugar, please," Angela answered before she turned back to Zack.

A few minutes later, Vala returned with coffee with both her and Angela. Angela had managed to wind-down Zack and was telling him she'd see him in a while. Vala sat down and put down the coffee as Zack said his good-byes.

"So, did you hear about all the wonders of our labs?" Vala asked with a grin.

"Yeah," Angela answered as she prepared her coffee. "In more detail than it was necessary."

"I don't doubt it," Vala agreed with a laugh. "Ok, so back to the story," she said and skipped the part about Atlantis and Pegasus galaxy before Angela had time to think about it, "I heard of the 'Prometheus' and thought that it was ideal for my job. So, I'd tried to borrow it."

"Borrowed it? You wanted to borrow the spaceship?" Angela asked as she leaned forward on her chair, completely interested in the story.

"Yes, but Daniel wasn't very keen in letting me have it," Vala said with a pout and a hurt expression, completely nonchalantly as if she was talking about borrowing an eraser and not a ship. "We . . . argued a while but at the end he won and I was able to esca . . . I mean, I left."

"Umm," Angela said as she studied the other women closely. She had a feeling the story she'd just heard had been severely edited but decided to take it at face value. "Ok, that's how you met. But how did you end up here?"

"A few months later I came across a table that described a great treasure." Vala answered after putting her coffee down. "The only problem was that it was on Earth and I didn't know enough about it to come and look for it. So, I came to the SGC and convinced them to help me look for it."

"And that's it? You looked for the treasure and then you just stayed?" Angela shifted to put an elbow on the table and leaned her head on her hand.

"Well, no." Vala conceded. "It wasn't that easy. First I had to convince Daniel to stay and look for the treasure instead of going to Atlantis. And after I did and we found the treasure, we ended up in the Ori galaxy; and in trying to stop them from coming here, I ended up stranded over there and it was almost a year before I could come back. But I was finally able to make it back and I've just here ever since."

By the time Vala finished her story, Angela was looking at her with her mouth hanging open. She again had the feeling that the version she'd just heard was highly condensed but she was pretty sure she wouldn't get the full version no matter how she asked. So, she went back to her original question once again.

"And that's when you two got together?"

"Oh, no." Vala answered with a laugh. "Heavens, it was at least two years before he even took me seriously. See, I was a bit of a flirt when I first came here," she confessed in a low voice and in all seriousness. Angela had to stifle her laughter because she had observed the other woman the past few hours and she was still quite the flirt.

"He didn't think I was serious in my advances. To tell you the truth," Vala admitted with a sly smile. "At first, I only wanted to get under his skin. He was always so correct and proper that I just wanted to annoy him. But as I got to know him and I learned what an incredible man he really is, I fell for him. Though it took him longer to notice my considerable charms, he eventually got there." Vala took a sip of coffee before she continued. "It wasn't easy; it actually took a near death experience before he admitted it."

When she stopped there, Angela leaned further in and said, "Oh, no. You can't stop there. You _have_ to tell me that story."

Vala laughed before she sighed and in a reflecting tone began to tell the story.

"It was towards the end of the Ori war. We were in PX something or other for a recon mission and walked into an ambush." She stopped for a minute as she wet her lips and stared off into space. "It was bad," she smiled a little as she looked back at Angela. "We've been in bad situations before; you can't be in an SG team, especially if you're in SG1, and not be in bad situations. But that was as bad as bad can get. We were all injured; I was injured pretty early on so I don't remember much of it. Apparently, Daniel and Teal'c, who were the least injured, got us all back and collapsed as soon as they were through the Gate." She paused a minute and took a few sips of water to wet her throat before continuing.

"But you were all fine right?" Angela asked a bit apprehensive even though the fight happened years ago. "Of course you were," she answered her own question and continued with her 'interrogation'. "Did he declare his love when you woke up?" She asked half jokingly, hoping it was that easy but knowing it wasn't.

"Yeah, right," Vala snorted. "I was the last to wake up; and though he was there he only waited long enough for the doctor to tell him I was out of danger before he went running back to his lab." She paused and with a rueful smile continued, "I was ready to give up, you know. After all, I'd just been at death's door and if he couldn't bother to stick around then why bother, right?" Vala asked with a shrug that didn't quite hide the hurt she'd felt back then.

"You obviously didn't give up," Angela commented.

"No, I didn't," Vala answered with a laugh. "Thank God. Though, I guess I really should thank Jack. He came to see me after he saw what was going on." She paused again as she of the best way to continue. "Daniel is a very private person and though I'd known him for over two years, I didn't really know much about his past. And though Jack knew Daniel wouldn't like it, he decided it was time I knew a bit more." She paused again, not sure whether she should continue or not. Daniel would probably not like it if he found she was talking about his past. But then it was _her_ past too and there was something about Angela that encouraged confidences.

"Daniel lost his parents when he was very young and his grandfather, his only family, is on some planet getting to know giant aliens." Angela started to laugh but stopped as she realized Vala was not kidding. "And you know that he lost his wife to the Goa'uld." It wasn't said as a question but Angela nodded anyway.

"Daniel considers SG1 family; he's known Sam and Teal'c for over ten years and Cameron and I for over two. To see us injured like that and not know whether we would recuperate . . . well, it took him to a bad place. He'd already lost everyone else he's ever cared for and there was no one to help him through it. Jack was there but it was all he could do to keep it together not knowing if Sam would wake up or not. Jack made me see that Daniel running back to his lab was indisputable evidence that Daniel cared for me. He wouldn't have needed to run and hide in his translations and books if he hadn't been truly scared," Vala said and Angela nodded in understanding.

"Jack also told me that if I really wanted to have more than a friendship with Daniel, then I had to be ready to fight for it. Because Daniel was in full retreat and he wouldn't even consider the possibility of something more, much less actually do something about it. And he told me to be very sure before I did anything because Daniel was not an easy man to live with."

"I gathered you did fight to be with him?" Angela said with a smile as she took a sip of her coffee.

"Oh, yes." Vala said with a laugh. "I had to fight him, and it wasn't easy because he can be a very stubborn man when he wants to. But at the end I got my man," she ended saluting with her coffee cup.

"I'm glad," Angela said with a laugh. "I like a woman that goes after what she wants."

"It's the only way to make sure you actually get what you want," Vala said.

"True," Angela agreed and after a few moments of silence she said, "Well, it seems that Brennan and Daniel have more in common that just their academic interests."

"Oh, really?" Vala asked with a tight smile.

"Um," Angela agreed. "Bren also lost her parents at an early age and has used science and the lab as a refuge against getting hurt."

"I guess they do have a lot in common," Vala agreed grudgingly; it didn't take someone with Angela's power of observation to notice she wasn't happy about it.

"You're not jealous, are you?" Angela asked, remembering little things from earlier in the day.

"Me jealous?" Vala asked in a scoffing tone. "Please! What do I have to be jealous about? I mean, she doesn't have anything I don't." She protested.

"Me thinks the lady doth protest too much," Angela murmured, slightly amused. Vala just looked at her with a 'huh' expression on her face. Angela laughed and waved it away, "Nothing, sorry. Bren is very nice, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," Vala said with a pout. "I've heard all about how nice and brilliant she is."

"Oh, honey," Angela said as she leaned forward and touched Vala's hand. "You have nothing to worry about; I've seen the way Daniel looks at you. He loves you; what he feels for Brenn is just professional admiration. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, I guess," Vala said with a light frown. "He's just such a hunk and innocent that it's very easy to take advantage of him." Vala said and Angela had a feeling she was talking from experience.

"Oh, Vala," Angela added with a laugh as she sat back in her chair. "You have nothing to worry about there, either. Brennan is so preoccupied working with Booth, fighting with Booth, worrying about Booth and flirting with Booth that she doesn't notice anything or anyone else around her."

"Booth and Brennan, huh?" Vala asked as she leaned forward, sure that there was an interesting story there. "So what's the story? Are they an item?"

"Well, that's a far more complicated answer than you'd think," Angela answered.

"Oh, come on," Vala wheedled. "We have time and I love complicated stories. Besides, I told you mine now I want to hear yours."

Angela had to laugh at the way she phrased that and wondered whether she had known the common use of that phrase. She seemed to have a very good grasp of American slang but she was an alien, so one never knew. She hesitated before she started talking, well aware that neither Booth nor Brennan would appreciate knowing she was talking about their relationship. But after a while she decided to go for it; it wasn't like she was telling some big secret after all.

"Ok, well I guess the answer of whether they are a couple or not would depend on your definition of what a couple is."

"What do you mean?" Vala asked. "A couple is a couple, isn't it?"

"Not when it comes to Booth and Bren," Angela answered with a smile. "Nothing is that simple with those two."

"Maybe you should start at the beginning," Vala prompted.

"They started working together about three ago when the FBI requested Bren's assistance in a case where the body was mostly bones," Angela began.

"And where there sparks from the moment they met?" Vala wanted to know.

"Oh yes," Angela answered with a laugh. "Though they were not the sparks you're talking about. Or maybe they were," she added thoughtfully and when she noticed Vala's confused face, she clarified. "They fought like cats and dogs all through the first case. Booth didn't believe Brennan could really add anything useful to the investigation besides the victim's identity. He didn't have much patience with all the science and seemed uncomfortable with how smart Brenn is."

"Really?" Vala asked somewhat surprised as she finished her coffee. "That's kind of surprising, isn't it?"

"Why?" Angela asked. "Because he doesn't seem the type to let those kinds of things get to him?"

"No, well, yes that too," Vala answered. "But I mean he's quite smart himself so why should he be uncomfortable around smart people?"

"Well, of course he's smart," Angela answered a bit puzzled at Vala's reaction. "But it's a different kind of smart, you know. It's not the kind when you go to school and get a degree."

"But don't you have to go to school to become a lawyer?" Vala asked, quite confused.

"Of course," Angela answered automatically before she stopped to think what that question might mean. "Wait, are you saying that Booth is a _lawyer_?"

"Yes," Vala said simply and at the dumbfounded look on Angela's face, she asked. "You didn't know?"

"No," Angela answered faintly as her mind seemed to go blank for a few moments. "Are you sure? How do you know in the first place?"

"Yes, I'm sure," Vala answered. "I know because it came up in the background check Daniel did of all of you guys."

"Then you are sure," Angela said in a low voice, putting the fact that they've ran background checks on the side for the moment. "I can't believe he's a lawyer. That means he has a JD – a Juris Doctor; that's the equivalent of a PhD!" She concluded in an excited voice as the realization sank in. "He basically has a doctorate," Angela said in an amazed tone of voice looking right at Vala as if waiting for a response.

"Yeah, ok," Vala said slowly, she might have a good grasp of American slang but she had almost no knowledge of the American education system. She had no idea what Angela was going on and on about.

"I can't believe he's never said anything." Angela marveled. "And how he's always harping on the other's PhDs when he has one of his own. Oh, wait until I tell the others!" She laughed at she imagined the reactions of everyone when she dropped this little bomb. "This is going to be fun! I just have to find the right moment to let it slip."

"You have something in mind?" Vala asked, she wasn't quite sure what had happened but she recognized the gleam in the other woman's eyes. She was intrigued and more than willing to help out. "Because if you need help, I volunteer."

"Um," Angela said. "No, no plan yet. It has to be just right to get the reaction I want from everyone: surprise and chagrin from Booth and surprise, disbelief and amazement from everyone else. And don't worry; I'll let you know what I come up with."

"Good," Vala said, satisfied with the promise. "Now, why don't you finish telling me about whether they're an item or not?"

"Oh right," Angela said, in her excitement she'd forgotten all about that. "Where was I? Oh yes, Brennan was a great help to Booth in the first case; so much so, that he requested her help with other cases. But the only way she'd work with him was if she got to go out to the field with him. He wasn't happy about it, but he needed her help so he gave in. At first, they still had some problems getting along. They're very different people with very different ways of doing things, so there was a period of, well adjustment. But they soon found their rhythm and they've become a great crime fighting team. And I've been after them to realize that they'd also make a great romantic team almost as long as they've known each other."

"But they haven't listened to you, huh?" Vala asked with a sympathetic smile.

"No, they've always gone on about how they're only partners. And they've had other relationships but . . ." she trailed of with a deep sigh. "It's just so frustrating when you see two people who are just perfect for each other but who refused to see it, you know? They're best friends; they tell each other practically everything and whenever one is in trouble or preoccupied or even just happy the other is the first person they call. I was Brennan's best friend and had been for years until Booth came along; now, I know I'm still her best friend, but he comes first – there are things he knows that she won't tell me."

"Sounds like they're in a relationship already," Vala commented, scraping the last of the chocolate from her plate.

"Exactly!" Angela cried out, slapping her palm down on the table. "And I've been telling them that for months – especially since they've stopped dating other people. But they've always denied everything – well, up to this week, anyway."

"What happened this week?" Vala asked as she leaned forward, thinking that the gossip might just get juicer. "Did they hook up?"

"No, at least I don't think so," Angela answered and then she stared off, thinking about the possibility. "No," She said more firmly. "Bren would have told me about it. But I did found out that my friend is not as obviously as we thought. It turns out they've already talk about how their relationship is changing and how soon they'll be ready for the next step."

"That's good," Vala said with a smile. "At least they've already acknowledged the reality and discussed what they're going to do about it."

"Yes," Angela said. "I just wished it hadn't taken them so long."

"Do you want to give them a push to hurry them along?" Vala asked with a mischievous smile.

"No," Angela answered with a small smile. "We better not; I've thought about it but Brennan has some issue she needs to come to terms with. Rushing her at this juncture would be counter-productive. I'm just glad she finally woke up – even if it did take her three years."

"It could be worse you know," Vala said. "They could have taken ten years before they did anything about it – like Jack and Sam."

"Ten years?" Angela had known the couple had waited years before they could be together but she hadn't known how many exactly. Somehow knowing the exact number made it all the more remarkable. "You're right ten years would have been worse." She then remembered something she'd thought of earlier and asked Vala, "Hey, do you think Sam regrets waiting ten years?"

"Regrets?" Vala repeated. "No, I don't think so. She might wish they could have gotten together sooner but regretting those years? No, she knows that there was nothing she could have done – except leave the SCG and that was something neither was willing to do."

"Um," Angela nodded. There were similarities but there were also differences between the situations of the two couples. But still, "You think Sam might talk to Bren?"

"Sure," Vala said easily. "About what specifically?"

"About falling in love with someone you work with, especially when it's a dangerous job. About waiting years before acting; about trust, loyalty and respect and about how love can work despite big obstacles." Angela answered and Vala just looked at her for a few moments as she realized what Angela meant.

"I think we could work something out," Vala answered slowly as the two new friends shared a smile. They then put their heads together and started planning how they could give Brennan the push she needed without actually giving it.


	10. Chapter 10

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still not mine. Sad, isn't it?

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. Sorry, it took a bit longer but I think the wait was worth it. I'm actually moving the plot along in this chapter. I'm kind of surprised at myself, to tell you the truth; I started this fic as something of a challange to see if I could create and follow a case and I'm doing it! And I've managed to fit in what I think are some nice character moments. We're now in sort of uncharted waters (actually we've been there for the last few chapters); the detailed plot line I had has less and less details as we go on, so updates might be a little longer as I iron out all those pesky little details. I have the next two chapters more or less planned (and there's a very nice BB moment coming up) but after that, especially when it comes to the case, I'm not so sure. But, I'll figure it out. I want to thank Ann for betaing this chapter, which I think had more grammar mistakes than usual; as always your help helps me write a better chapter. Well, that's it. Enjoy!! And please, please review!! It really makes me write faster.

**Chapter 10**

"You did good," Cameron told Booth as he closed his locker. After an hour on the firing range, where Booth had proven why he was a sniper, they had gone to the gym. After watching a few sparring matches, they had decided to join in the fun. Booth had fought a Sergeant before going against Mitchell and lastly he had faced Teal'c. Booth had won the match against the Sergeant; the match against Cameron had been a draw but, though he'd tried his best, Booth had lost the match against Teal'c.

"Right," Booth scoffed. "I barely lasted five minutes against Teal'c." Booth said, disgruntled. Though they've used standard military fighting techniques, Teal'c had moves that were, well, out of this world.

"Considering that most people only last two minutes and the rest barely make it to three the first time they go up against Teal'c, you did better than good," Cameron told him as they left the locker room where they had changed back into their uniforms. Teal'c had changed and left already and Cameron was pretty sure the other man had gone to talk to General O'Neill about the guards following them.

"You lasted a lot longer than that," Booth commented, as they made their way to the elevators.

"I've been practicing with him more than three years now; you can't really compare," Cameron said with a shrug.

"You think he'd be willing to practice with me?" Booth asked.

"I'm sure he will," Cameron answered with a grin. "You impressed him, you know?"

"You think?" Booth asked and Cameron nodded. "How can you tell? He didn't say anything."

"I know him," was Cameron's simple answer.

"Has anyone ever beaten him?" Booth wanted to know.

"I think Jackson has come close a few times but as far as I know the only one to beat him has been General O'Neill."

"General O'Neill?" Booth asked, surprised.

"Yeah," Cameron answered as he pressed the button to call the elevator. "They've been practicing at least twice a week for the last ten plus years."

"Huh," Booth said as they entered the elevator followed by the guard. "How old is the general? He must be one of the youngest two-star generals ever."

"Maybe," Cameron answered with a shrug. "But his age doesn't really matter when it comes to physical strength, anyway." At Booth's questioning glance, he clarified, "Side benefits of Gate travel."

"Really?" now Booth was intrigued.

"Well not of the Gate itself but of an artifact that the Goa'uld used." Cameron explained.

"Sounds like a very good artifact," Booth said as they got off the elevator.

"Yeah, except that it has some very nasty side effects; in fact, I know for a fact that the general didn't willingly use it." Cameron said somberly.

"Ah," Booth said as he nodded, realizing that war was war no matter where it was fought.

"Yeah," Cameron said as the two shared a knowing look. Theyfell silent until they reached the lab where Brennan and the rest of the squints where busy with Sam and Daniel looking for answers.

"Bones!" he said as they walked in. Booth immediately went to stand by where Brennan was sitting. "How is it going?"

"Fine," Brennan started to answer as she looked up from the computer. When she saw him, she was distracted, "Booth, what are you wearing?"

"Oh, this," Booth said as he looked down at himself. "These are BDUs," he answered as he fingered the SGC patch on one of the sleeves. "This is what they normally wear here at the base. I changed into them after my time at the gym."

"Um," Brennan said as she admired how the black t-shirt underneath the green shirt lovingly hugged his torso. "You worked out?"

"In a matter of speaking," Booth answered. "I had a couple of sparring matches." He told her as he leaned on the side of the table she was using.

"Really?" Brennan asked as she leaned closer to him. "How'd you do?"

"Pretty good," Booth answered with a smirk. "Though I'd only lasted about five minutes against Teal'c. I'm telling you, Bones, that man has some wicked moves. I'm going to ask him if he can teach me some of them."

"Well, he is from another planet and of aspecies that was bred for war, according to what I've heard. It stands to reason that he'd know some interesting techniques." She paused and looked at Booth with a glimmer in her eyes, "You think he'd be willing to teach me too?"

"Oh, Bones," Booth protested. "Don't you already know enough ways to kick a man's ass?" At her raised eyebrows, he chuckled, "Right, forgot to whom I was speaking for a minute there. You could never know enough ways to kick someone's ass."

"No, I couldn't." Brennan agreed. "It's always a good idea to know how to defend oneself." She told him seriously and then asked him with a grin, "So, you think he'd teach me?"

"I guess so," Booth shrugged. "I don't really know him but I don't see why he'd say no."

"Good," Brennan said with a nod before she went back to her computer.

"So, any progress?" Booth asked as he picked up a pen and started playing with it.

Before she could answer, General O'Neill entered the room and captured everyone's attention. Booth straightened from his slouched position by Brennan's side but relaxed when he noticed that neither Sam, who was seated by the table next to Brennan, nor Cameron, who had sat down next to Sam, straightened from their positions.

"So, kids," the general said as he clapped his hands. "You have anything useful yet?"

"Well," Hodgins started to answer but Daniel beat him to the punch.

"Jack!" he said as he jumped up from his seat, where he had been going through the planet's database to create some sort of list of the most likely planets to check. "Why did you send those goons to guard us?" Jack just looked at Daniel while Sam and Cameron shared a look – they had known that Daniel would have something to say about the guards.

"They are not goons, Daniel," Jack finally said on a sigh. "They're highly trained marines."

"Whatever," Daniel said with a wave of his hand. "Why did you send them to follow us?"

"They're to follow you for your protection," Jack explained in the tone of voice he would have explained to a five year old why he had to eat all his vegetables.

"Come on, Jack!" Daniel said as he threw his hands up. "We can protect ourselves. You saw to that, yourself." Daniel reminded him. "And what could possibly happen to us inside the base?"

"You never know, Daniel," Jack answered calmly enough, but Sam could see that he was nearing the end of his patience. She looked behind Jack and saw that Teal'c had come behind Jack. By the look on his face, Sam could tell that it was Teal'c that had strained Jack's patience – probably arguing about the same subject.

"If you're so worried about it, Jack, maybe we could just start carrying a gun or a zat gun inside the base," Daniel said.

"Yeah, right," Jack scoffed

"Hey," Daniel protested. "I'm a good shot!"

"Yes, you are," Jack agreed. "When you're paying attention to your surroundingsJack pointed out. "But it takes a Goa'uld attack to make you pay attention when you're busy studying your rocks. And that's out in the field; you really expect me to believe you're going to be aware here in the base? When there's so much to do?" Jack asked in a disbelieving tone.

"Jack," Daniel started to protest but Jack cut him off.

"No, Daniel," Jack said firmly, in the tone he used when he'd madeup his mind and nothing would change it. "The guards stay and that's final. And I really don't want to hear another word about it." It was almost snapped and Daniel knew better than to keep pushing Jack at the moment. He sat down with a muttered 'fine' and turned back to the computer.

"So," Jack said again after taking a deep breath to calm down. "Any progress?"

"Actually, yes" Hodgins said after an amused glance Daniel's way. "**I've** finished analyzing the fabric found with the bodies. The fabric found with the first victim was cotton with synthetic polymers dyed olive green."

"Right and that means?" Jack asked with a frown as he looked from Hodgins to Sam.

"It means that he was wearing a military uniform," Booth said thoughtfully before anyone else had a chance to speak. Everyone, especially the squints, turned to look at him with surprise. "What?" He asked with a shrug. "I've worked with you guys for almost four years; I've picked up a few things," he said in his defense. He then remembered that Bones had said something about how the victim appeared to have been wearing a uniform. "But he wasn't wearing any dog-tags, was he?" He turned to the general for confirmation.

"No," Jack answered as he raked his fingers through his hair in frustration. "He wasn't. And there wasn't a match when we ran his teeth through the database. Why wasn't there a match?" He looked at Sam while he asked.

"I don't know," Sam shook her head. "If he was in the military, even if he was retired, there should have been a match."

"Maybe he wasn't in the military," Hodgins said, more than happy to come up different theories. "Maybe he just borrowed a uniform for the night."

"Or," Brennan said as she got up and went to examine the bones more closely. Because she had examined both bodies the night before, she hadn't done more than a cursory examination of the human body that day, preferring instead to concentrate on the body of the alien. "Maybe," she mused out loud as she shared a look with Booth before she picked up the skull and brought it to a microscope.

"You think maybe he had some surgery that would make the dental records useless?" Booth asked as he remembered one of their earliest cases.

"It's possible," Brennan said as she examined the skull under the microscope. "It would certainly explain why there wasn't a match."

"But why would a soldier have surgery to alter his dental records?" Zack asked, perplexed.

"Who knows why a soldier does anything, man," Hodgins said and was promptly silenced by Booth's glare.

"Maybe Hodgins is right," Cameron said, ignoring the by-play. "Maybe he just borrowed a uniform."

But Jack was already shaking his head.

"No," he said firmly. "Just putting on a uniform wouldn't have been enough to gain access to the dinner last night – security was too tight. Everyone was asked for identification and their fingerprints were verified before they were allowed inside." Jack explained and Booth and Brennan nodded their heads as they remembered howlong the line to get in had been. "The guest list was fairly exclusive and even the guests were vetted beforehand. A military uniform by itself would not have been enough," he repeated.

"Unless," Sam said, "they were beamed in." Jack looked at her for a moment before giving a sharp nod of acceptance.

Booth and Brennan shared a look and Hodgins had to bite his tongue to stop himself from making a Star Trek joke.

"Have you verified that all the military officers in attendance are accounted for?" Booth asked the general.

"Those that had to report for duty," was the answer. "But there were quite a few that were either retired or on leave; we've tried to track them all down but frankly because of all the security measures we had in place, that hasn't been a priority. We assumed it was more likely the security leak had come from the catering staff and have been focusing our efforts there." Jack sighed as he crossed his arms and leaned against a table. "But today's Sunday, so we haven't really gotten very far yet. And really, given that one of the bodies was a Jaffa, we weren't really expecting to find anything." He finished with a shake of his head.

"Well,he definitely had some work done on his teeth, but the technique was so sophisticated that there's barely any evidence of it. I don't know of anyone on Earth who is capable of such work." Brennan said after she straightened from the microscope.

"But he is human?" Cameron asked, just to be sure.

"Yes," Brennan answered as she put the skull back with the rest of the body. "But whether he was born on Earth or not, I can't tell just yet."

"So, to recap," Booth said as he shifted and crossed his ankles as well as his arms. "What we have here is a human male that may or may not have been born on Earth; that could be military and that had some alien doctor do work on his teeth. Am I right?" He asked as he looked around the room.

"Yes," Brennan answered as she sat back down, everyone else just nodded.

"The kind of surgery Dr. Brennan's talking about would dramatically alter a person's jaw and facial structure." Camille commented. "Why would a military officer do that if he was planning to still use his military identity? He'd need his face to be the same so that he'd be recognized."

"The surgery he had was extremely sophisticated," Brennan explained. "It altered his teeth enough so that there wouldn't be a match but not so much that his actual face would not be recognized by those who knew him before."

"Ok," Sam said. "But still the only military personnel that go off-world are members of the SGC and they are all thoroughly examined when they come back from a mission."

"Unless those exams," Brennan said, shaking his head. "Include checking the jaw bone at a microscopic level, they wouldn't have caught this." That announcement silenced the room as the implications sank in.

"Damn it!" Jack exploded a few moments later, breaking the silence. "Do you know what that means?" He asked Brennan as Cameron, Sam and Daniel shared troubled glances. "Do you know how many persons have been assigned to the SGC over the last ten years? How many have gone off world? And they're not all still here; some have retired, some have gone on to other assignments. They're all over the place."

"And there's still the question of why." Sam said. "Why would someone who has worked here do something like this? And when. When would there be time to have such surgery? Every minute that a team is off-world is accounted for."

"You're talking about motive and opportunity," Booth said. "But what we need to concentrate on right now is the 'who'. We need find to find out who these people were and then look for the other answers," hetold them all before he turned to Jack. "Since he more than likely was a member of the SGC, do you know who from the SGC was invited to last night's dinner?"

"No," Jack answered. "Not offhand though I know it wasn't many. But I like I said, a lot of SGC personnel have either retired or gone on to other posts. I might know a lot of the people that have worked here, but it's impossible to know them all. And there were a lot of people last night."

"But you can get a list of the guests and compare it to a list of past and present SGC personnel?" Booth askedand Brennan could tell by the way he'd straightened and was talking that he was taking control of the investigation.

"Yes," Jack answered with a nod. "It shouldn't be a problem, though the comparisons will take some time."

"That's ok," Booth said. "If I can have a copy of both lists as soon as you have them?" he asked and Jack nodded. "I'd also like a copy of everything you've gotten from the catering company," he requested, thinking that he should have been given that information already. As soon as Jack nodded again, he turned to Brennan. "Bones, will Angela be able to create an accurate face from that skull with the alterations?

"I'm not sure," Brennan said with a shrug. "Though the surgery wouldn't have dramatically changed his appearance, it might throw off the tissue markers."

"Ok, well, we'll see what we get," he said before he turned to Hodgins. "What about the fabric found with the second victim?"

"Just a standard poly-cotton blend, dyed white," Hodgins answered and had Brennan looking up from the sample she'd begun to study again.

"Like the kind used for waiter's uniforms?" Brennan asked Hodgins.

"Yeah," Hodgins said with a nod.

"General," she said as she turned to look at Jack. "Do you have the video footage from the corridor outside the restrooms?"

"Yes," Jack answered. "But there must have been some kind of interference because there's nothing on them for about twenty minutes before the explosion. Why?"

"I just remembered that when I came out of the bathroom last night, I saw a waiter and a military officer talking down that corridor." She explained.

Both Booth and Jack straightened at the news. "Can you describe either one?" Booth asked.

"No," Brennan said after thinking about it for a moment. "Sorry, I just saw them a moment as I was going back to the dining room and they had their backs to me."

"How long before the explosion was that?" Booth asked.

"Um," Brennan said as she thought about it. "I guess maybe fifteen minutes or so. It was right before I ran into Sam." She turned to look at Sam, who agreed it was about ten to fifteen minutes prior to the explosion.

"That sounds about right given that Dr. Brennan does not appear on the recording before the feed was interrupted," Jack said.

"Was the recording interrupted or erased?" Booth asked.

"We're not sure," he said with a shrug before he turned towards Sam and said her name in inquiry.

"I've studied the recording and I'd say that the feed was interrupted and not erased." Sam started explaining. "There doesn't seem to be anything there to _be_ erased. Plus, leaving aside the fact that there really wasn't time for anyone to get to the disc to erase it, the timing of the disruption is just too perfect. The image is interrupted before anyone can be seen and it comes back on right after the explosion occurred. If I'd have to take a guess, I'd say that one of the victims was carrying some kind of magnetic device that disrupted the feed before they came within the camera's range but which was destroyed during the explosion thus allowing the recording to begin again. Also," Sam added as an afterthought, "the time markers are intact."

"I'd like to see those recording," Booth told Jack, who again just nodded. "Bones," he said as he turned back to Brennan. "How long until Angela can start with the sketches?" But then he looked around and asked before Brennan could answer him, "Where is Angela, by the way?"

"She and Vala are in the cafeteria having a snack," Zack, who had seen them not too long ago, answered.

Booth nodded and turned back to Brennan, "Bones?"

"Well," Brennan began. "Hodgins and Camille have already taken the samples they needed and are now running their tests. Zack and I have learned what we can from the remains in this state and Zack should be done cleaning the bones shortly. I'd say Angela can begin the sketches first thing tomorrow morning. But," she added. "Without the Angelator here, it might take her a bit longer to finish them."

"That's fine," Booth said. "I know she'll finish them as soon as she can." He then looked at his watch before saying. "You've been at this for a while now and it's getting late, I think you should call it quits in a couple of hours."

"What? Booth, no." Brennan protested while Hodgins and Zack just sat back to see who'd win this battle. "We've barely began and we have a lot to do. I can't just stop now."

"I'm not telling you to stop now," Booth argued. "I said you should stop in a couple of hours. I'm going to check out the video and other information and I'll come back to pick you guys up." He said as he looked around at the other squints. "It's been a long day and I know," he added looking at Brennan, "that you went to bed late last night."

At that little tidbit, Hodgins had to again bite his tongue as he shared a knowing look with Camille; oh, Angela was going to have a field day with that piece of information.

"But," Brennan started to protest again but was cut off by Jack.

"Major Booth is right," he said. He had been impressed by the way Booth had taken over the conversation and hadn't let the fact the there were three senior officers in the room intimidate him. "It has been a long day and I know that at least you two," he said looking at Sam and Daniel, "had almost no sleep last night. So in a couple of hours we should all call it a night."

Cries of 'but Jack' and 'but sir' came from Daniel and Sam respectively but Jack just looked at _his_ squints and said firmly. "No 'buts'. You've been at this for over twelve hours; it's time you took a break. This investigation is important," he added, knowing that'd be their next argument. "But not so dire that you need to pull another all-nighter. You can come and look at all this with fresh eyes tomorrow." He then looked at them until Sam said, "Yes, sir." And Daniel reluctantly nodded before turning back to his computer.

"Good," he said and it was obvious from his attitude that he considered the question settled. "Major," he told Booth. "I'll have everything you need set up at the conference room."

"Thank you, sir," Booth nodded. "I'll be there in a minute," he added, knowing that while the question of when to quit might be settled in the general's mind, it was far from settled in Brennan's.

"I'll come too," Cameron said, knowing that there was nothing for him to do in the lab. Jack nodded, turned and with one last look at Sam, he left. Teal'c and Cameron followed him out of the lab.

"Bones," Booth began but Brennan beat him to it.

"Booth, I'm not quitting in two hours," she said determinedly. "He might think he can tell us what to do . . ."

"He doesn't think so, Bones," Booth interrupted her. "He knows he can."

"He might have the authority to tell _you_ what to do but he has no authority to tell me . . ."

"Bones," Booth cut her off again. "Remember when I told you that there'd be rules and protocol you'd have to follow? And that you might not be able to do things like you'd want?" He asked, well aware that the rest of the squints were avidly watching them while Sam and Daniel pretended to ignore them.

"Yes, but . . ." Brennan started to answer.

"No, no 'buts'**"**Booth told her firmly. "We have to do what he tells us; there's no way around it." When he saw her frustrated face, he added, "Look at it this way you still have two hours to do all manner of squinty things." He tried a charm smile to calm her but had only marginal results. Deciding to get out while he was ahead, he told her "I'll be back in two hours. Have fun playing with your bones." And with a final glance, he was gone.

"Arg," Brennan said after Booth left as she moved some samples rather forcefully on the table. "He can be so exasperating!"

Hodgins, Zack and Camille shared amused glances before they turned back to their test, knowing that in two hours they'd be calling it quits for the night.

"How do you stand it?" Brennan asked Sam after a few minutes of silence.

"Um," Sam said as she turned to look at the irritated woman. "How do I stand what?"

"How do you stand being married to someone that can order you around?" Brennan clarified.

"Oh," Sam said with a laugh. "Jack doesn't order me around," she denied. At Brennan's skeptical, "it sure looked like that to me," she added, "These are not normal circumstances, you know. Sure, Jack is a superior officer but we're not usually on the same chain of command. So, he doesn't have a reason to tell me what to do."

"But that's now that you're married," Brennan said, remembering what the other woman had told her the night before. "What about before you became involved? When you were on the same chain, he told you what to do then, right?" At Sam's nod, Brennan asked, "How did you stand it? Didn't it drive you crazy to have the man you cared about order you around?"

"Well," Sam answered as she sat back on her chair and turned more fully towards Brennan. "You have to understand that back then, he wasn't just he man I cared for; that wasn't even the first thing he was. First and foremost, he was my commanding officer and I was duty bound to do what he ordered. I'm career military, Temperance; hell, I was even an Air Force brat. The military with its rules and hierarchy is all I know; if I had a problem with someone else telling me what to do, then, I'd be in the wrong line of work."

"See, that's what I don't understand," Brennan said. "That willingness to follow orders; Booth also has it and I just don't understand it," she finished with a shake of her head.

"I guess we just believe in something bigger than us," Sam said. "And we're willing to sacrifice some things to be a part of it. Now, don't get me wrong, it's always better to be the one giving the orders than to be the one receiving them," she added with a laugh and Brennan chuckled too. "But before we're ready to be the ones giving the orders we have to pay our dues. And the truth of the matter is that while I've been ordered to do some hard things, things I wouldn't have done on my own initiative, there were things that needed to be done. And that's why I was the one following orders instead of giving them. That's why Jack was the CO and I was the 2IC. That's why he and Landry and Hammond made general; because they are ready, willing and able to make those tough decisions – the decisions no one else wants to make." She paused for a minute and then added.

"It's not an easy job and it takes a great toll on a person; not everyone can do it. And we know that; we know that at the end of the day, they're doing their jobs – protecting and caring not only for those under their command but for the whole country, hell, even the planet. That's why we follow them, why we obey their orders because we believe that they're doing what needs to be done to ensure everyone's safety."

Brennan nodded slowly, trying to take in everything the other woman had said. She understood the concept in principle but in practice . . .

"I don't know," Brennan said, shaking her head. "I don't think I'd like having my boyfriend or husband, tell me what to do."

"Like I said," Sam said with a laugh. "He doesn't really tell me what to do outside of extraordinary circumstances, and then it's usually just to make sure I take care of myself. And sometimes, I get so wrapped up in my work that if it wasn't for him I would forget to take care of myself." Sam paused again and added thoughtfully, "I guess, in the end, it all comes down to respect and trust. I respect Jack and trust him to make the right decisions for everyone. And he's never let me down. I imagine it's the same with you and Booth; the same reason why you listen to him when you'd rather not."

Brennan nodded again and they both turned back to their jobs.


	11. Chapter 11

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Let me check, hold on, maybe . . . No, they're not mine.

**A/N:** Well, here's the latest chapter. After such a plot heavy chapter, this one is, hopefully, lighter and funnier. I want to thank my beta Ann who continues to help me write better and better chapters. I hope you guys like it and that you review. Last chapter barely received four reviews. I guess the site problems and the Harry Potter weekend contributed to. But, please drop me a line and let me know what you think about the development of the story. I know that the alerts are down again, so if you like this you might want to check out 'These are the Moments' - a one shot I wrote and posted a few days ago and let me know what you think.

**Chapter 11 **

Two and a half hours later, Booth walked into the lab to find all the squints (his and O'Neill's) still engrossed in their work. He just knew they'd lost track of time. He stood by the threshold and waited to see if anyone noticed him; after a few minutes of silence, he coughed and still nothing. He moved towards Brennan's table and leaned against its side.

"Ok, Bones, come on; let's go," he said.

"What?" Brennan said with a distracted air. "Booth, what are you doing here? I'm busy, go away," she said without looking up from her work.

"Bones," Booth said as he pulled Brennan's chair from the table. "It's been two and a half hours; half an hour more than what we agreed on . . ."

"_We_ didn't agree on anything," Brennan interrupted as she finally turned to look at him. "You decreed and expect me to just go along with it."

"Bones," Booth said again, ignoring her outburst. "Come on, it's time to call it quits. You had an extra half hour to run all manner of tests and now it's time to stop for the night."

He then turned to look at the others in the room and said, "That goes for all of you. The general," he added looking at Sam and Daniel, "was finishing a phone call and couldn't come down. But he told me to tell you that he expects to see you up top in ten minutes and you better not make him come down to get you."

Sam nodded and with a small smile started to shut everything down. It had been a long day and a good night's sleep wouldn't be the worst thing. Daniel too started to shut down everything but he did so mumbling about how he wasn't a child and didn't need a keeper telling him when to go to bed.

Hodgins, who was sitting close to the archeologist and grinning widely at his mutterings, closed down his computer and asked, "Booth, do you know where Angela is? She hasn't been by all afternoon. We can't leave without her."

"Don't worry," Booth answered, he was pulling Brennan up and she was batting his hands away. "She's on her way up. She came by the conference room about half an hour ago, saying she was hungry and wanted to go to dinner."

"That sounds like a good idea, actually," Hodgins agreed as he walked towards the door. "I'm hungry too."

"Good," Booth answered, he had succeeded in making Brennan shut down her computer and was now pushing her towards the door where the rest of the squints were waiting. "She and Vala have decided that we're all going to O'Malley's," Booth explained as they walked towards the elevator.

Forty minutes later, they were all settled down at their tables and were studying the menus. When Brennan had decided what she wanted, she put the menu down and looked around the table.

"This is a typical division," Brennan commented to Booth who was sitting next to her.

"Hum?" Booth said as he too put down his menu. "What do you mean?"

"I mean that anthropologically speaking whenever a large group like this gets together, there tends to be a division along gender lines. It has to . . ."

"Ugh," Booth interrupted Brennan's anthropological lecture, "I really don't want to hear the reasons, Bones. That's just the way things are," he said with a shrug as he looked down the table where sure enough all the women were on one side and all the men were on the other. All the couples were seated directly across from each other. Booth, who was sitting at the head of the table, was the only man to be seating next to a woman: Brennan. "Can we talk about something else?"

"Sure," Brennan said as she put down her glass of water. "You can tell how can he gets to have a gun and I don't."

"Who is he?" Booth asked in a resigned tone.

"Dr. Jackson," was Brennan's answer. She paused while the waiter took their order before she continued. "Last night, you told me that the reason Sam had a gun was because she was military. Well, Dr. Jackson is not military; in fact, he's a scientist just like I am. Well, ok, his PhDs are in archeology, linguistics and anthropology and not forensic anthropology but still I think . . ."

"Ok, ok," Booth interrupted her once again. "He's a squint just like you; I get it." He said with as he raked his fingers through his hair. "But that's were the similarities end."

"What are talking about?" Brennan asked, indignantly. "We both go out into the field."

"Yeah, ok," Booth agreed. "But there are two big differences between the two of you."

"Yes, what are they?" Brennan asked as she sat back and crossed her arms.

"Well, number one," Booth said as he held up one finger, "he's never shot an unarmed man without any warning,"

"That wasn't my fault," now it was Brennan whointerrupted Booth. "If I hadn't stopped him, he would have destroyed the evidence – and killed me.

"And that's why the case didn't go to trial," Booth responded, thinking that only Bones would put destroying the evidence before her safety, "But the fact remains, that you were charged and have a record. Dr. Jackson doesn't."

"What's the second one?" She asked after a few moments of sulking.

"The second one what?" Booth asked as he shifted on his chair.

"You said there were two big differences between Dr. Jackson and I. What's the second difference?"

"Ah," Booth said as he nodded and sat down his glass. "Well, Dr. Jackson works for the military and you don't. And the military has its own rules governing who they give weapons to. Don't," he said when he saw Brennan opening her mouth.

"What?" she asked with an innocent smile, "I didn't say anything."

"Maybe not, but I can tell what you're thinking," he said and continued talking over Brennan's protests that he wasn't a mind reader. "You wouldn't like being in the military, Bones, trust me. You don't have the discipline."

"What?!" she asked, once again indignant. "What do you mean I don't have discipline? How do you think I got to where I am without discipline?"

"Yes, Bones," Booth said before she could really get started. "I know that you have great discipline but it's a discipline that you impose. You have no use for any discipline that's imposed by someone else nor do you have much patience with authority figures. You wouldn't last two days in the military before you were kick out for insubordination."

Brennan opened her mouth to argue but Booth just looked at her, daring to disagree. She reconsidered and then closed her mouth. Shereally couldn't disagree – he was right after all and she'd said something very similar to Sam not too long ago. Booth smirked and they fell silent for a few moments until Brennan gave a deep sigh and sat back on her chair.

"It's not fair," she said. "I didn't really hurt him and the evidence I saved sent him to jail. But do they think about that? No, of course not. I still can't get a gun. It's not fair," she repeated.

"No, it's not," Booth agreed and took a sip of water to hide his smile. It was a rare thing to see Brennan pouting or sulking but it did happen from time to time. Booth was happy that he was one of the few that got to experience the phenomenon because it meant that she really trusted him. "But look at the bright side."

"What bright side?" she asked, doubtfully.

"Well, you don't really need a gun because I'm always there to protect you and _be_ your gun, however," he added quickly when he saw that she was opening her mouth to protest, "whenever there is a particularly dangerous situation that I think merits you carrying a gun, I always give you my side piece, don't I?" He waited for her nod and then added, "So, you see, if you need a gun you have a gun _and_, this is the bright side, you don't have to deal with all the paper work that comes when you're assigned a gun. You get to have the gun, discharge it if needed and then go home while I have to go back to the Hoover building and fill out all the paper work to explain the shooting."

"Hmm," Brennan said as she thought about it. It was true that he was always there to protect her and that he didn't make a big deal of giving her a gun when the situation warranted it. And a gun wouldn't have made much differencethose times she'd been in danger when he wasn't around. In fact, the one time he was kidnapped, his gun didn't do him much good. And the _last_ thing she needed was more paperwork. "Ok, maybe you're right. Maybe there is a bright side."

"Of course there is," Booth said firmly. "See, Bones, if you'd just listen to me more often, life would be much easier all around."

"Yeah, right," she scoffed. "Like that's going to happen," she said with a smile he returned.

"So," he said after the waiter had left their dinner."What haveyoufound so far?"

Brennan started on her plate at the same time she started to relate the few discoveries they'd made so far. They were unaware that they were the subject of the intense discussion that was taking place a few seats down.

"They look so intense, I wonder what they're talking about," Vala said as she studied Booth and Brennan from the corner of her eye. She was sitting hallways down the side with Angela at one side and Sam at the other. Cam was at Angela's side and Janet at Sam's. Though Cam was next to Brennan, the space between their chairs was larger than the space between the other chairs as Brennan had pushed her chair closer to Booth's as well as turned her body in his direction.

"Well," Angela said from Vala's side as she started her meal without bothering to look at the couple in question. "It is Booth and Brennan we're talking about, so they're either bickering about the most trivial thing or they're discussing the case."

"Really?" Dr. Janet Frasier, who had been waiting with Vala and Angela by the cars, asked from her seat. "They seem too . . . passionate for them to be merely bickering or discussing work."

"Oh, I know," Angela said with a wave of her fork. "They're very passionate people and most of their interactions are very . . . lively. But trust me, usually the more passionate they're being, the more they're disagreeing."

"And you said that they're not a couple?" Janet asked for confirmation of a fact that she didn't really believe.

"No, they're not," Angela said as she too turned and studied the couple, who was still oblivious to the attention they were attracting. "Sad, isn't it?" She asked. "It seems like everyone but them can see it."

"You did say," Vala said, "that they've had _the_ talk. So, they do see it."

"I guess," Angela said, doubtfully. "But I don't want to get my hopes up, you know. They may have had a talk and Brennan may not be as clueless as I thought, but she still has a long way to go."

"Oh, I don't know," Sam said, speaking up for the first time. "I don't think she has as far to go as you might think." As she stopped talking, all the women (sans Brennan) turned to look at her.

"What?" Angela squealed but quieted down quickly when she saw Daniel and Jack as well as Hodgins turning to look at her. She waved at them and then turned to see if Booth or Brennan had noticed it, but they were so into each other, they hadn't noticed anything. "What do you mean?" she asked much more quietly.

"Well," Sam said as she put down her fork, aware that all four of the women were again looking at her. "Nothing, it'sjust a feeling I got when we were talking earlier today. It seems to me that she's already thinking about what it would be like if they were in a relationship."

"But what did she say?" Angela asked as she turned her whole attention to Sam and almost forgot her dinner. Sam chuckled and started to recount the conversation she'd had with Temperance a few hours ago.

"But, you know," Sam added after she'd finished the story and after Angela had finished squealing (quietly), "she's not the only one that has issues." Janet nodded her head in agreement with the statement while Camille and Vala looked thoughtful and Angela looked surprised.

"What do you mean?" unsurprisingly, it was Angela who asked.

"Well," Sam began slowly as she put her drink down. "How much do you know about his past?"

Angela looked at Camille before she turned back to Sam and answered, "We know that he was an Army Ranger and a sniper. And that he's been in the FBI for a few years but not much more than that. He's very private." Angela paused and Sam nodded. "I do know that Brennan knows more about it; though, she's never spoken about it because she'd never break his confidence."

"Of course she wouldn't," Sam agreed and took a few seconds before continuing. "Well, you know that I barely know Booth but he reminds me of Jack. And, well, let's just say that their military careers are . . . similar. Giving that, I have a feeling that he has as far to go as she does. But, I have no doubt that they'll get there eventually. Look at Jack and I; it took us a while but we got here."

"Yeah," Angela answered slowly, it was obvious she was thinking about what Sam had said. "I just hope it doesn't take them as long. No offense," she added quickly.

"No offense taken," Sam said with a laugh. They then started to guess how long it could take Brennan and Booth to 'wake up' and who'd 'wake up' first.

Because of the proximity to the couple, they hadn't been able to speak very loudly and they've all pushed their chairs closer together until they were almost touching. The men in front of them had noticed this and were making their own speculations about what could be so interesting.

"So, what do you think they're talking about so intensely?" Jack asked Cameron and Teal'c who were to his left. He'd ask Daniel except that he was occupied with the scientists from the Jeffersonian. Besides, the spacemonkey didn't know much about women.

"Well, General," Cameron answered as he put down his glass and picked up his fork again. "Usually when a group of women congregate like that," he said as he waved towards the now giggling group of women, "and acts like that, they're engaging in one type of conversation: men."

"Indeed, O'Neill," Teal'c agreed with a nod of his head as he paused his eating. "I have observed that when women act like that they are either talking of men or romance. Though," he added thoughtfully, "I have rarely seen Col. Carter act thusly."

"You're kidding, right?" Cameron asked, incredulous as he looked over at Teal'c. "Haven't you seen how she acts whenever she and Vala get together? It's like 'Invasions of the Cheerleaders from Hell.'" He finished with a mock shudder. Teal'c looked at Cameron for a moment before he inclined his head again in agreement.

"But in his defense," Jack said, pointing at Teal'c. "Sam had never acted like that before she met Vala. But," he continued as he turned once more to look at the women. "Who do you think they're talking about?"

"If I had to take a guess," Cameron said slowly, "I'd say that they're talking about Booth and his lady doctor. For what I gathered, whether they're involved or not seem to be a highly discussed question."

"Yeah," Jack said as he picked up his beer. "That's what I thought." He added with a nod and then he started to talk about the latest hockey scores.

Less than an hour later, the gender division had once more made itsappearance. The men had gone to play billiards and the women had stayed behind. Sam would usually have joined the men and would have also beaten them, but this time she decided to stay and just observe them. It was a very nice way to pass the time.

"They sure look great, don't they?" Angela asked as she observed the men from where she was relaxing on her chair, drinking wine.

"Yeah, they're all very hot," Vala agreed with a naughty grin.

"You know," Sam began in a contemplative tone, "not because he's my husband, but I think Jack is one of the best looking men here. There's just something about his white hair, tanned skin, those muscles and that great smile," and then because she'd had a few glasses of wine, she added with a saucy smile, "not to mention that very nice behind."

Janet looked at her friend with an amused smile while Cam, Angela and Brennan checked out the 'nice behind'.

"I don't know, Sam," Vala said, sounding surprisingly serious. "Jack does have a great behind, I agree," she had, after all, already checked out everyone's behinds. "And all you mentioned is true enough but, personally and objectively, I think Daniel is better looking. I mean take those blue eyes of his – a woman can just get lost in them. And he has as many muscles as Jack and his behind is twice as good." Vala was going to continued expanding on Daniel's attributes but was stopped by Angela's snort.

"Please, like either of you are being objective," Angela said with a roll of her eyes. "I mean, your guys are good looking and all, but they're not any better looking than Hodgins. You want to talk blue eyes; Hodgie has the bluest eyes I've ever seen. And though he's a bit shorter than the rest, I can assure you that he's lacking in nothing else. He might not look it, but that man has as much muscle as the next man. As for his behind, well, we can all see for ourselves." And they all turned around and stared at Hodgins, who had just bent down to take a shot. After a few moments of silent contemplation, Brennan spoke up.

"I don't think any one of you can be objective," Brennan observed and had Sam, Vala and Angela turning to look at her.

"And you can, sweetie?" Angela asked very sweetly.

"Yes," Brennan answered matter of fact. "I think, objectivelyspeaking, that Booth has the best structure of the group." She ignored the laughs and 'of course' scoffs of the other women and continued in an analytical manner. "His musculature is ideal for his size, his features are symmetrical, his eyes may not be blue but his shade of brown is not only beautiful but also stronger than the lighter colors. His height is above average and is a source of comfort for those around him, he has a quick brain allowing him to act quickly in dangerous situations, he also has great wit and sense of humor and his alpha male qualities, while annoying also make him a most reliable person. All in all, he is a great candidate for mating." This clinical analysis of her partner was received by complete silence by her tablemates. She looked around at the stunned faces and innocently asked, "What?"

"Well," Vala spoke up after sharing amused looks with the rest of the women. "If you think that way, why haven't you snapped that man up yourself?"

"Snapped up?" Brennan asked. "I don't know what . . ."

"She means, sweetie," Angela answered before Brennan finished her question. "That if you think Booth is so hot, why haven't you done something about it by now? You know snatch him up, jump him, take him out of circulation."

Brennan stared at her for a minute before saying with a frown, "Angela, Booth is not an object that I can just take if I want. Besides, we're just partners and friends, why would I want to 'snatch him up'?"

"Oh, Bren," Angela said almost in despair as she shook her head. "I don't know what I'm going to do with you. If you really don't know what to do with a man like that," she shook her head again and then added with a smirk, "Though, I can give you some ideas, if you want. You can always . . ."

"Ange!!" Brennan exclaimed, stopping Angela before she could say anything. Angela chuckled and subsided with a wicked grin that the other women shared.

"Seriously, though Dr. Brennan," Camille said suddenly. "If you don't hurry up and stake yourclaim, some one else may come along that won't hesitate and you might lose your chance."

"Booth," Brennan began almost through clenched teeth, "is not a piece of land that I can just stake a claim on. How am I supposed to do that, anyway? Stick a label on him that says 'Temperance Brennan's property?'" She asked sarcastically to mask the fear Camille's prediction had produced. The fact was that the idea that Booth could fall for someone else hadn't really entered her mind in months.

"No, sweetie," Angela said on a laugh that was shared by everyone else. "You don't need a label; there are a variety of ways to claim ownership of a man. You can go from the blatant ring on his finger to the subtler hickey on his neck to . . ."

"_How_ is a hickey subtle?" Brennan asked, incredulously but then thought better of it. "No, you know what? Forget it, I don't want to know. And could we please change the subject?"

"Fine," Angela said, knowing she'd pushed her luck far enough. "You know no one has commented on Cameron, Teal'c or Zack. Doesn't anyone want to comment on their looks?" And she added with a grin and a glance at Brennan, "Or their structures?" When Brennan glared at her, Angela put her hands upin surrender and with another chuckle she stopped baiting Brennan asthe talk turned to the remaining guys and funny stories that the guys would have preferred remain secret.


	12. Chapter 12

**The Men from the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Last I checked, there weren't mine. I'm just borrowing them to have some fun.

**A/N:** Well, here it is, the latest chapter. It would have come out sooner, but the site has been acting up and the last time that happened and I posted, I think the story had lost; so, I waited a bit this time. This is a pure BB fluff chapter, no SG1 or squints; sort of like the first chapter, except that I . . .well, you'll see. I really hope you guys read and review, letting me know what you think of this chapter. It wasn't the hardest to write but it was the one I work the hardest on; I even wrote a timeline and summary by hand, and I never do that. But I think the result was worth it, what do you think? And I have to say, this chapter wouldn't be half as good without the help of my beta, Ann. She not only answered all my emails, gave me her opinions in my ideas, help me to keep it IC, told the state of the world (war-wise) of the 90's, she's the reason why I wrote the chapter this way in the first place. At first, I was going to have a small conversation between Booth and Mitchell about why Booth wasn't in the Army; but she told me NOO, Booth wouldn't have that talk with anyone but Bones (I had said Cam in my email and she thought I meant Camille - but her point stood). She was right and when I thought about it, I think I ended up writing a pivotal point in the story and their relationship. I hope you agree; and whether you do or not, please let me know. I'm kind of nervous about this chapter; as proud of it as I am, it isn't what I usually write and I've taken more liberties with the characters than I usually do.

**Chapter 12**

Two days later, Brennan was once again immersed in her tests when Booth came into the lab.

"Bones!" he said as he walked directly to her table. "How you doing?" She murmured 'fine' without looking up. "Hey, where's everyone?" Booth asked after he looked around the room.

"Hmmm? What?" she asked distractedly as she finally looked up. "Booth? What are you doing here?" Booth shook his head at her inattentiveness; he thought that if he didn't have such a healthy ego, she'd have crushed it beyond repair by now.

"I came by to see you, Bones," he answered patiently. "I thought it was time you took a break."

"No, Booth. I still have a lot of work to do," she protested.

"Bones, its past lunchtime and I bet you haven't eaten anything since dawn, have you?"

"Well, no," Brennan answered, slowly. "But . . ."

"No buts," he said firmly. "You're going to stop for a while and we're going to go have lunch."

"Booth," she started to talk but he ignored her.

"Come on, Bones. Chop, chop," he said clapping his hands. "Save and close whatever you're working on and let's go. I'm hungry." Brennan stared at him defiantly and he stared back determinedly. In the end she gave in, muttering about how she didn't need a keeper telling her when to eat. She couldn't help but remember the conversation she'd had with Sam a couple of days ago. Sam had been right; at the end Brennan did what Booth asked because she trusted him to want what's best for her just like Sam and Jack. Booth and General O'Neill really were a lot alike.

"Bones, where's everybody else?" Booth asked again as Brennan finished putting everything away.

"Um," she said as she looked around the room as if noticing for the first time that there was no one there. "Well, Sam," she began, obviously trying to remember where they were all supposed to be. "She's back in her lab; there's not much she can help us with and she has her own projects. Hodgins and Zack left with Dr. Jackson a while ago. I think they were going to check on something in his office. As for Angela, I haven't really seen her since early this morning."

"How're the sketches coming?" he asked as she got up and he led her to the door.

"Not much different since this morning, Booth," she said with a look. "I told you it'd take longer without the Angelator, especially with all the surgery the soldier had. What's that?" she asked as he paused by the door and picked up a basket.

"This," he said as he held it aloft, "is our lunch. We're having a picnic." He said with a grin as he put his hand back on the small of her back.

"A picnic?" She asked, bemused as he guided her through the corridors of the mountain.

"Yep, a picnic," he affirmed with another grin. "You've been stuck in this mountain for two days now. You need to go out and have some sun and fresh air; and that's what we're going to do. We're going to go out onto the mountain on top of us, we're going to sit in the shade and enjoy some fine food."

"Fine food?" she asked with a grimace. "From the mess hall?" she sounded very doubtful.

"No," he answered with a laugh. "I went to a nearby deli and got us some good stuff."

Forty five minutes later, they were finishing a very nice lunch underneath the shade of a big tree overlooking Colorado Springs just as he'd said. The conversation had been light and relaxed. And though Brennan would not admit it, it had been just what she had needed.

"So," Booth said once they've finished. "How do you like working for the military?" He asked as he lay down and put his arms under his head.

"Booth," Brennan answered as she pulled her legs up and wrapped her arms around them. "I've worked for the military before, you know."

"Yeah, yeah," he said as he pushed his sunglasses in place. "I know you've worked _with_ the military before but this is different, Bones; you gotta admit that."

"Ok, yes. This case has been a little different than any other," that was the understatement of the year. "How about you?"

"Me?" Booth asked, genuinely surprised. "What do you mean me? Bones, I was military, remember?" At her look, he grinned and repeated, "Ok, so it's a little different. But not as much as I'm sure your end of things must be."

"I guess," Brennan nodded. "You've liked it, huh?" She asked him after a pause.

"Hmmm," he asked as he turned back to look at her. "I've like what?"

"This," she said as she waved her arms to encompassed the whole place. "Being back in the military."

"What makes you say that?" he asked as he pushed his glasses to the top of his head and lifted himself on his elbows.

"I may not be great at getting people, but I've gotten pretty good at getting you," she explained with a shrug. At his still confused look, she continued, "I've seen you, Booth. I've seen you with them: Mitchell, Teal'c, the general and even Sam. You relate to them on a whole different level; they 'get' a part of you that I don't think too many other people do."

"You 'get' me, Bones," Booth protested. "Sometimes I think you get me more than anyone else."

"Maybe," She conceded. "I probably do know you better than most anyone else, just like you know me better than anyone. And still, I know there's a part of you I just don't understand; but they do, because whatever that is, they have it too. Sam said it was that you believed in something bigger than you and were willing to sacrifice what you needed to be a part of it. And she was right, but I think it's more than that. You're not only willing to sacrifice part of yourself to be a part of it; you're also willing to sacrifice yourself to protect it. And that's something that can only be understood by those that, like you, are willing to die to defend the innocent, those you perceive as weaker than you or those you see as your responsibility."

"But so are you," Booth argued. "Or are you telling me you wouldn't everything you could if someone were threatening Angela?"

"Of course I would," Brennan answered with a feral grin. "I'd make him or her wish he'd never been born, but that's because Angela is my best friend. It's an anthropological inevitably that we protect those we care for; but you don't just protect your family, you protect society at large. And that's what you guys are: protectors."

"I . . . I don't know what to say, Bones."

"You don't have to say anything, Booth. I'm just calling it as I see it," he grinned at her correct use of the slang. "Just as I see that you joined the FBI so that you could still protect the innocents; I know that you like your job and that you find it rewarding. But I can't help thinking that you miss the military." She paused and waited to see if he'd say anything; but he was busy studying the sky, so she continued. "Like I've said, I've seen how you act around the military personnel. I don't think I've ever seen you so at ease around anyone else, with the exception of Parker, myself and the 'squints' – but only once we became your friends. When we were just co-workers you were so uptight," she reminisced with a shake of her head. Booth thought that that was like the kettle calling the pot black but said nothing.

"Just as you still are around your FBI colleagues. And that's all they are, aren't they? Just colleagues. I've known you for over three years; we've been best friends for over two and the only other friends of yours I know, aside from the 'squints', are ex-military. You don't see any of the people from the FBI outside of work except for social obligations. It's almost like you don't really fit in with them," she said slowly, working things out as she said them. "And you didn't have a partner before me, did you? Why? I thought all FBI agents had to work with partners." She turned to him and saw him nod.

"Most have to, yes," he acknowledged.

"But you didn't," she concluded. "I know you believe in the FBI, Booth, and that you are dedicated to it. But . . ." she trailed off and turned to him expectantly.

"It's complicated, Bones," Booth said as he sat up and took off his glasses. He played with the sidepieces of his glasses while he tried to gather his thoughts. "You're right. I do miss the military. But you have to understand, for a long time, the military was all I knew. And for an even longer time, that's all I thought I'd be."

"So why did you quit?" She asked. "And why did you join the FBI? If you liked it so much . . . Was it because of your experiences as a sniper? Because you could have requested a transfer, couldn't you? Why did you quit all together?" She was sincerely curious, had been for some time and thought that it was the right time to ask.

Booth looked at her for a moment before he turned to study the sky again. She could tell that he was trying to decide whether to tell her or not. She didn't say anything; the decision whether to trust her with his past was his. A few minutes later, he sighed and started talking and she listened attentively, knowing that he was sharing with her what he probably hadn't ever shared before.

"You know my dad was in the military, right?" He turned to look at her and saw her nod. "I grew up hearing his stories and knew from a young age that I wanted to joined and serve my country – although I don't think that was his intent. But whether it was or not, I had made up my mind. I would have enlisted as soon as I graduated from high school but I wasn't old enough. And since I've been admitted to Penn State, I decided to go. My plan was to go for a year, drop out and then join the Army. But I joined ROTC and found out that I could work towards a degree and at the same time begin my Army training. So, I stayed and after graduation went straight into officer training. By the end of my first assignment, I'd heard of the Rangers and I knew that was what I wanted. I volunteered and was accepted." He paused again, seemingly lost in memories only he could see.

"I became a sniper because it was obvious I had a natural 'talent' for it. A year after I joined, we began Operation Desert Storm and I was sent to the Middle East. After Desert Storm, I was sent on different missions all over the world. They were never easy, and emotionally they kept getting harder and harder." He pulled his knees up and rested his arms on them. He continued to play with his glasses and alternated from looking at them to looking at her.

"That's a good thing," She couldn't stop herself from saying. "Taking someone else's life should never be easy – even if it is done for the greater good. Booth, if you had found it easy, then you would have had a problem. The fact that you felt guilty, even though you've been doing your duty means . . . well, it means that despite everything you were asked to do, you still kept your humanity; you still kept that intangible thing that makes you you."

"I know," he agreed. "The shrinks explain it all to you; but it doesn't make it any easier, you know. And then I was sent to Kosovo for the Radick mission and I ended up shooting him in front of his kid," he stopped and shook his head. "That made it ten times worse. That was my last mission though I didn't know it at the time. A few weeks later, my unit was sent back to the Middle East and we were ambushed while we were doing a routine patrol. My buddy Hank was injured and in helping him get away, I was captured." He paused and took a drink of water before continuing, "I was a POW for a few weeks; when I was finally rescued, I wasn't in very good shape – you've seen my X-rays, you know." He said and she nodded; there was no reason for him to go into details.

"I was given medical leave when I came back to the States. Physically, I healed fairly quickly but emotionally and psychologically was another story. The docs wouldn't clear me for active duty and though I wasn't sure I wanted to go back, their decision left me at loose ends. Suddenly, I didn't know if I could or even wanted to keep doing the job I thought I was meant to do. On the one hand, I wasn't sure I could keep doing the job and losing pieces of my soul; but on the other hand, retirement sounded like giving up. I've never been one to give up on anything. And to make matters worse, I had no idea what else I could do. I never wanted to do anything but be in the Army." He raked his fingers through his hair and sighed. "I just . . . I was not in a good place." He turned from looking at her and stared off into space.

"Is that when you started gambling?" Brennan asked after a long pause.

"Yes," he answered as he turned to look at her again. "Well, I had gambled before but it had always been while I was on leave and knew I was soon going to be back on duty. Without that deterrent, that's when things got out of hand – really out of hand."

"So what happened?" She prompted when he once again seemed lost in his memories.

"Hank," Booth answered with a slight smile. "Hank happened. He said that I've saved his life and he couldn't let me throw mine away." He paused to take another drink of water. He thought about skipping the details but he told her he'd never lie to her - not even by omission. Besides, she had always trusted him with her past, despite how hard it was for her, it was time he returned that trust. Frankly, he was surprised this hadn't come up already; and from the conversation he had with Cameron earlier, it'd be a miracle if it didn't come up before this mission was over. It'd be a lot better if she heard about it from him and not some third party – especially since she'd just found out about his military status.

"When Hank's wife gave birth to their first baby a few months before we were injured, he'd decided that he didn't want to be on the front lines anymore. He didn't want to be away from them for months at a time or having them live in fear of his life. So, he decided to go to law school and because he wanted someone to study with him for the LSATs, he challenged me to take them too. And," he shrugged and smiled again, "I did."

"You've taken the LSATs?" she asked, stunned.

"Yes, I have," he answered with a nod. "And I'll have you know that I got one of the highest scores too," he added proudly.

"You did?" She didn't mean to sound shocked but she was; one look at his face, however, made her swallowed down the comment she'd been about to make. "Of course you did. So did you go to law school?"

"Yes, I did," he answered simply, "Though that was never my intention. In fact, I had all but forgotten that I had applied and I certainly never accepted any admission offers. The first I knew of it was when Hank tracked me down in Vegas and told me that I had to get my act together because classes started in two weeks. It turned out that the acceptance letter had arrived at his house and he'd accepted for me." He explained with a small grin.

"What did you do when he told you?" she asked, surprised at the revelation. "Were you mad?"

"Was I mad?" he mused, as he took another drink. "No, not really. I was surprised at his guts but then I looked around at where I was. And I realized that I was going nowhere but down and fast; that that might be my last option to still do something worthwhile with my life. I also realized that I needed to do something worthwhile to make up for the lives I'd taken. If I'd had stayed on that path then everything I'd done would have been for nothing, and I couldn't stand that. So, I packed up my things and went back to DC."

"Did you join a program?" she asked, curious.

"No, not then." He answered with a sheepish smile. "I thought I could handle it by myself. Not the smartest decision I've made; I slipped a few times and almost failed a couple of semesters before I finally decided to go to the meetings."

"What made you finally decide to go?" she asked as she picked up and bit a strawberry.

"I'd met Rebecca by then and when she got pregnant, I knew it was time to really get my life in order. And then 9/11 happened and in less than 24 hours the world we knew changed forever." He paused and both remembered what those days had been like.

"I hadn't really made up my mind what I was going to do yet," he finally said with a shake of his head. "When we realized we've been attacked, my first instinct was to go back to active duty. But the baby was due soon and I still hadn't finished law school – I couldn't leave with things as they were. And then Parker was born a few weeks later and my world changed all over again," he said with the softest of smiles as he remembered that day.

"I'm telling you, Bones, the feelings you get when they put your child in your arms for the first time it's like nothing you can imagine. You're happy and excited and so scared. At that moment you realize that you are completely responsible for the new life you've created. You want to protect your child; you want to make sure they have a good life and that they're never in need of anything. And most of all, you want them safe; unfortunately, at that time the world was unsafe as it'd ever been." He paused to take another drink of water.

"So, I had a choice to make. I could go back to active duty and fight to make the world a safer place or I could stay around, try to make his life safer and teach him how to be a good man."

"That couldn't have been an easy choice to make," She commented. "It was a choice between two duties, between, what to you are two basic instincts."

"Yeah, you definitely 'get' me," Booth said with a nod. "It was a tough choice but at the end I did the only thing I could do. I had already served my country; it was time to take care of my son. I knew that my parental rights were limited because I wasn't married to Rebecca and seeing Parker would be a battle. It would only have been worse if I wasn't even in the country." He paused and looked intently at Brennan, almost as if he was asking for her understanding for what some part of him still believed was his dereliction of duty.

"You couldn't have done anything else, Booth," she said, giving him the affirmation he needed. "The urge to protect one's offspring is one of the most basic and strongest instincts that we posses – even above those of protecting society."

"If you say so, Bones," he said with half a shrug but she knew her immediate agreement had eased his mind. "Anyway, I couldn't completely forget my civic duty so I signed up for the non-active program. And when I ran into Robert, an Army buddy, who had joined the FBI and he told me about it, I decided to look into it. It was a way to make the world safer and still be close enough to see Parker grow up. I applied and went to Quantico for training as soon as I graduated law school."

"You finished law school?" she asked and he nodded. "Have you passed a bar?"

"Yes, Virginia and DC," he answered matter of fact with a shrug.

"You really are a lawyer," she said, sounding completely surprised.

"Yes, I am, not practicing though," he replied. When she still looked like she couldn't believe what she'd just heard, he became somewhat upset. "Come on, Bones! Don't look so surprised. I am an FBI agent, you know. They don't just let anyone who applies in; an advance degree is a requirement. And I am not dumb." He added firmly.

"No, of course you're not." She agreed hastily. "I know you're not."

"Well, then," he asked, "why do you look as if you've just heard some of your bones talk back to you?"

"No, I don't," she started to deny but stopped at his look. "Well, it's just that you've always seemed so disdainful of anything academic, it's kind of hard to believe you went to law school."

"No, I'm not disdainful," now it was Booth's turn to disagree and at her look clarified. "Anyway, it wasn't everything academic I was disdainful of – and I wasn't really disdainful. It's just that I'm a right brain person and science and math are a little beyond me."

"Hmmm," she said before she decided to let him off the hook. A comfortable silence fell between them as each got lost in their thoughts.

"You're right," Booth said a few minutes later. "Maybe I never gave the guys from the FBI a fair chance – too used to hanging out only with my Army buddies. But I love my job and I'm proud to work for the FBI. I do miss the Army, but it's from time to time and it's more like you miss your childhood home or your school days; you remember the good times but you wouldn't really want to go back." He paused and tilted his head as he examined her face closely. He'd been so focused on the past that a possible reason for the questioning hadn't occurred to him until then.

"Temperance, if you're worried that I'm going to suddenly realize just how much I miss the Army and be seduced into going back to active duty – don't. My Army days are over and done with. I'm not only where I need to be, but also where I want to be. I'm not going anywhere." He said firmly, looking into her eyes so she could see his sincerity. Temperance nodded her acceptance of his reassurance. Seeing him so at ease with the military personnel had made her worry that he might want to go back. Hearing him say that that wouldn't happen was reassuring but there was still something that worried her.

"What if you're recalled?" She asked and he looked away without answering. After a few moments of a not so comfortable silence, she called him, "Booth? What is it?"

"Nothing," he answered quickly. Too quickly and her face told him she wasn't buying it. With a sigh, he told her, "I just learned a few hours ago that the last two times I was recalled, the order was for me to come here – to the SGC."

"Here?" she asked, surprised as she looked around the mountain. At his nod, she asked, "And now?"

"And now what?" he asked, not understanding the question. "Those orders were never given. They're irrelevant now."

"But what happens if you're recalled again?" she insisted and he raked his fingers through his hair.

"I don't know what you want me to tell you, Temperance," he said as he shook his head. "If I'm recalled, I'm honor bound to report for duty, you know that. But I don't think that's going to happen. There are a lot of men, as qualified, if not more qualified than me out there. Younger men that they can call before me. But you never know. The only thing I can tell you is that I have no intention of going anywhere; and if it is within my power at all, I won't be going anywhere – at least not without you."

Temperance nodded, knowing that this was the best she could hope for. As Angela had said a few days earlier, it was not easy caring for honorable men; the thing which made them special was the same thing that could take them away.

"You ok there, Bones?" Booth asked when Brennan had been silent for a while.

"Yes, I'm ok," she answered with a smile as she noticed how worried he looked. "Don't worry, Booth. I'm not going to fall apart on you."

"I know you're not," Booth said with a grin, relieved that she seemed fine once again. And glad that he had finally shared some of his past with her; he'd been meaning to for a while now but had never found the right moment.

"I'm sorry, Booth," she said quietly and at his inquiring look she clarified. "For asking about your past and going on about all of this."

"No, please, Bones," he said, shaking his head and reaching out to bring her face up so he could see her eyes. "Don't ever apologize for how you feel, and I hope you know you can always share those feeling with me. As for my past," he shrugged, "you've shared your past with me, it's only fair that I share mine with you. And really, there's no one I'd rather share it with than you."

"Thank you," Brennan said softly as she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Thank you for trusting me." She started to pull back but stopped halfway when their eyes met. Both seemed to freeze when they realized how close they were. Their eyes went from the other's eyes to the other's mouth and before either realized what they were doing, they started to close the gap. Just before their mouths met, they heard "Major Booth! Dr. Brennan!" as a young Sergeant came running up to them.

**A/N2:** So, what did you think? I know, cliffe. I usually don't write them because I don't normally like them and I was going to go on but when I wrote the sentence, I just knew it was the end of the chapter. Now, I didn't include any dates, I meant to but when I was writing the dialogue, it didn't seem right. But I do have a timeline; I worked it all out, so if you want to know, let me know. Oh, I'm assuming Parker was born in 2001. I don't think we were ever told otherwise, were we? I think late Sept 2001 works fine, if you don't agree, let me know. I know, I've said this before, but please review. Even if it's only this chapter, I want to know what you think of it.


	13. Chapter 13

**The Men From The Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still not mine

**A/N:** First of all, I want to apologize to all of you for the long wait for this chapter. As some of you might know, I went on a trip and my computer went kaput. My computer is now fixed and I'll be back home at the end of the week, hopefully all that means the next chapter won't be so long in coming. Well, I hope you like this one as much as the others. I want to thank Puppet for all her help. And here's the chapter:

**Chapter 13 **

As soon as they heard their names being called, Booth and Brennan sprung apart like a pair of guilty teenagers about to be found by the girl's father or a little kid about to be caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

Booth jumped up, and after straightening his shirt and running his fingers through his hair, he started walking in the direction the voice was coming from. Brennan sat still for a few seconds before she started to put away the remainder of their picnic. Throughout it all, they studiously avoided each other's eyes.

"Major Booth," the sergeant said when he finally reached them. "Dr. Brennan," he nodded towards Brennan, who had gotten up and was folding the blanket. "An emergency meeting has been called and your presence is requested." Booth nodded and when Brennan reached him, he took the basket from her and put his other hand on the small of her back. Brennan didn't even blink at this, giving up the basket without a protest and allowing the hand at her back to guide her to the mountain.

Both were acutely aware of the moment they'd just had, and of what it meant. They knew their relationship had changed and it was inevitable; they'd even had a discussion about it – however obliquely, it had been a discussion on the subject. But neither was quite prepared for the speed in which the change was coming. They didn't want to go back and they knew that Booth opening up about his past was a necessary step forward. A step neither one regretted. But they also didn't regret the sergeant's interruption. As difficult as limiting their physical contact had become, neither one was ready for the changes physical intimacy would bring. They both knew they wanted it, but they also knew the issues they had must be dealt with before either one could take that final step.

Given all that, it might have seemed a natural conclusion that the aftermath of their almost kiss would be awkward. But it wasn't. And that was a testament to how solid the foundation of their relationship really was. They were such a unit, so integral a part of one another that even an aborted first kiss couldn't disrupt their rhythm for more than a few seconds.

"Sergeant," Booth asked after they had been walking in silence for a few moments. "Do you have any idea as to the nature of the meeting?"

"Well, sir," the other man answered as he turned his head to look back at Booth and Brennan. He hesitated, he had only been sent out to bring them back, not to give any kind of explanations.

"It's ok," Booth said with a small smile. "I never heard a word," he promised and ignored the look Brennan was shooting him.

"Well," the sergeant repeated with a nod of his head. "It appears as though the DNA results are back." Booth nodded, not surprised that the man in the uniform knew that information. The investigation was supposed to be classified and known only to those involved directly in it; but Booth knew that there were no secrets on a military base, especially one as small and tight as the SGC.

"They're back?" Brennan asked with interest, not noticing or more likely not caring that the someone not involved in the investigation knew such sensitive information. "Why wasn't I informed immediately?" Booth nodded his head before asking what had been bugging him since he first saw the sergeant.

"Yes, why weren't we contacted by phone?" he asked.

"You were," was the answer, but at the look the partners threw him, he explained further. "At least they tried to reach you by phone, but you seemed to have left them inside the mountain," he said with a shrug.

"That's impossible," Booth said as he took his arm from Brennan's waist and started to pat down all of his pockets. "I always carry it right . . ." he trailed off when it became obvious that he wasn't, in fact, carrying it anywhere on his person. "Oops," he said with a sheepish grin and a shrug. "I guess I did leave it somewhere inside." When he noticed Brennan's smirk, he added, "Don't look so smug there, Bones. Just where does _your_ phone happen to be, huh?"

"_My_ phone is right where it . . ." she started to say as she too searched her person for the phone and trailed off as she found out she didn't have it on her. "It's right where I left it," she continued smoothly after a few seconds of hesitation. "On the table by the machine I was using back in the lab."

"See," Booth said as he pointed his finger at her before putting his hand back in its familiar place on her back . "You don't have it with you either."

"No, I don't," she readily agreed and Booth braced himself; such an easy acquiescence could only mean that she had found some way to make this entirely his fault. "But that's because someone decided it was a good idea to practically kidnap me from my lab and take me outside the mountain without giving me the time to look for my personal belongings."

"Oh, Bones," Booth said with a shake of his head. "How did I know you were going to blame this on me?"

"I don't know," she answered seriously. "As far as I know you don't have ESP; not that I believe that that kind of thing is real."

"You don't believe in ESP," Booth said, incredulous. "How can you not . . ." As Booth started one of their typical bickering sessions, the guard shook his head and muffled his chuckle. He'd heard of the partners and how they often bickered like an old married couple. In fact, most of the base was abuzz with gossip concerning those two and just what the nature of their relationship was. There was a very sizeable bet going on concerning just that subject among the lower ranked personnel of the base. The sergeant grinned and thought of how he'd be finally making his bet on the side of 'the not yet but soon' camp.

A few minutes and quite a few barbs later, the 'we're almost but not just yet' couple finally reached the conference room where they found everyone already seated. They hesitated for a few heartbeats as they crossed the threshold but soon recovered and moved further into the room. Booth, as always, led Brennan to the two vacant seats at the right side of the table.

"So glad you could finally join us," Jack drawled out as the two pulled their chairs out.

"I'm sorry, sir," Booth said as he sat down after Brennan had gained her seat. "I took Bo . . . Dr. Brennan out for some sunshine and lunch. She's been stuck inside the mountain for the past few days and I thought . . ." he tried to explain but Jack put up his hand in the universal sign of 'stop'. Booth stopped and leaned back on his chair, breathing a little sigh of relief, the general didn't seem inclined to want to hear any explanations. He turned his head to his left when he saw some movement and found a grinning Angela pushing his cell phone across the table.

"As long as we're all here finally," Jack said as he looked around the table. "Doc, you want to begin?" He signaled for Janet to begin her presentation. Janet took a deep breath and distributed the folders she'd brought with her around the table.

"Well," she began as she looked around the table at everyone, never stopping on any one face for more than a few seconds. "As most of you are already probably aware, the results of the DNA tests are back. The test results for the Jaffa generated no hits, which was what we anticipated." She paused and took a deep breath as she looked towards Jack. She had gone straight to him when the results had come in so they wouldn't be a surprise to him but for everyone else around the table, this would be the first time they heard it. Though, she couldn't say that any of the SGC personnel would really be surprised at the results, it would still be a nasty shock.

"The results for the human victim did generate a hit," she announced and once again paused. "The first victim was Lt. Charles Long." That announcement generated a flurry of 'you're kidding,' 'are you sure?' 'You're serious?' and the like from the SG1 side of the table. Those comfortable with medical lingo, reached for the folders and started to read the report. "I'm sure," Janet assured them. "I've double and triple checked."

"Janet, isn't Lt. Long one of the . . .?" Sam started to ask and Janet nodded before she finished.

"Long, Long," Mitchell mused out loud, "He's supposed to be on leave. Sir," Mitchell said, turning to look at Jack. "Not that I don't trust the Doc's accuracy, but shouldn't we call and verify that Long is missing?" Mitchell didn't have anything against science, but he was more of the 'seeing is believing' persuasion.

"I've already called," Jack said; given the nature of the work carried out at the SGC, every person working there, even those on leave, were required to give their CO an accurate itinerary. "He's right where he said he'd be," was Jack's surprising announcement, which brought complete silence before the flurry of questions began again.

Booth looked from the frenzied military team to his own team of squints. With the exception of Angela, they had all been studying the reports Dr. Frasier had distributed, but at the general's surprising revelations, they had all looked up. Booth sat very still as the uproar quieted down.

"I thought you'd double and triple checked, Janet?" Sam asked.

"I did," the doctor insisted. "And in those subsequent, more exhaustive tests I found an anomaly that the earlier test hadn't picked up. It was small, almost invisible; the only reason it was noticed the second time I ran the test was because I did a comparison between that sample and the results from Lt. Long's examinations before he was captured and after we were rescued."

"Janet, what are you saying?" Sam leaned forward and asked in a tone that said she was pretty sure she knew where Janet was going and she didn't like it.

"I also compared those results with the results of the tests run on Ba'al when he was here," Janet continued, ignoring Sam's question.

"Janet?" Sam asked again.

"I didn't run those tests, as you know. And I'm not an expert on the subject; I only know what I've been able to learn by studying the test results," she was avoiding telling them the results and Sam knew it.

"For God's sake, Janet!" the outburst came from Sam, surprisingly, but the subject matter wasn't easy an easy one. "Is it . . .?

"The body that was blown up a few days ago and that is currently downstairs is a clone of Lt. Long."

"A clone!!" Brennan, Zack and Cam all exclaimed, as they looked up, in unison. Booth and Angela looked at the civilian squints and then at the military squints. Hodgins said in a satisfied voice, "I _knew_ the government had the ability to clone a human!!"

"For God's sake, Hodgins," Booth hissed. "The government does not have the ability to clone humans!" He then turned to look at the general as if asking 'does it?'

"No, Dr. Hodgins, the government does not have cloning abilities," Jack said firmly. The momentary distraction gave SG1 time to absorb the news.

"So," Mitchell said as he leaned forward on the table. "This definitely involves Ba'al, correct?" he said in a grim tone.

"Everything points that way, yes," Janet said as she linked her fingers on top of the reports in front of her. Mitchell nodded as he leaned back and gazed thoughtfully at the table.

Booth noted that the grim air that surrounded Mitchell hovered over the rest of SG1 also. Teal'c was sitting straight in his chair and though his face was the same emotionless mask as always, there seemed to be tightness around his eyes and mouth that made him look even more menacing.

Daniel was wearing a fierce frown as he intently studied the report Janet had distributed; Vala, sitting next to him, was uncharacteristically quiet as she alternated between sharing concerned glances with Mitchell and sneaking anxious looks at Jack and Sam. Sam seemed to have moved her chair closer to her husband, and although he couldn't see it, Booth was sure they were holding hands beneath the table.

Whoever this Ba'al guy was, his involvement seemed to have hit SG1 like the proverbial punch in the gut; and the sense of doom seemed to be expanding.

"So," Booth finally said, breaking the silence. "Would someone care to explain what's going on?" He asked and saw how the other end of the table jumped at his words, almost as if they'd forgotten there was anyone else at the table.

"I take it," he continued when it seemed no one was in a hurry to talk, "that the human body was a clone and you have reason to think this Bal in involved somehow?" He looked around and saw a few nods. "To refresh my memory, who is Bal again?"

"Ba'al," Jack corrected but didn't go on.

"He's the one System Lord you've never managed to capture, right?" Brennan said, looking at Daniel for confirmation since he seemed to be the official story teller. Daniel nodded, and Booth thought 'leave it to Bones to remember'.

"Yes," Daniel answered and looked towards Jack, who sighed and nodded, giving Daniel permission to continue. "Ba'al is the only one of the more powerful System Lords we haven't stopped yet."

Jack scoffed and muttered, 'the guy seems to have more lives than Apophis.' Booth looked at Jack and then at Brennan, who shrugged to let Booth know she didn't know what the general was talking about.

"Ok, so this Ba'al seems to be the one tough SOB Goal'uld still out there," Booth said. "But why are you so sure he's the one behind all this? Why is the presence of a clone a sign of his involvement?"

"Because we know that he has the technology," was Sam's answer.

"You've seen it?" asked an excited Hodgins as he leaned forward.

"No," Sam said with a small smile for his excitement. "Not the technology but we've seen the results." Hodgins opened his mouth to ask, but Brennan beat him to it.

"You've seen the results?" she asked with interest as she too leaned forward on the table.

"Yes, quite close actually," Sam answered and then looked to Daniel for him to continue with the explanations.

"Well," Daniel began, as he pushed his glasses up. "When the System Lords were finally brought down, Ba'al was the only one to escape alive. He somehow made his way here to Earth."

"To Earth?!" Brennan asked. "He's here?" Angela asked looking around the room as if she expected the Goal'uld to be hiding there. "How did he get here?" was Zack's question. "And I bet the government knew all about it and spent millions covering it up!" was Hodgins contribution. Booth turned and glared him into silence before turning back to Daniel and saying, "Maybe you better back up a little and give us some more background? I think it'd be better if I," he paused and looked directly at Brennan for the first time since they'd sat down. "If we had a better idea of where this guys is coming from."

"You're probably right," Daniel agreed with a nod. He then pushed his glasses back up and took a sip of water. "Two major forces were responsible for the collapse of the System Lords hegemony three years ago. One was Anubis, a half-ascended Goa'uld; and the Replicators, technological 'bugs' whose only goal was to self-replicate and to reach that goal they'd ate anything in their path and destroyed anything that tried to stopped them."

"Ok, stop" Booth said as he put up his hand. "That's a lot of information and I'm not even sure where should I start asking for clarification."

"The beginning would be a good place," Brennan interrupted him and then turned and asked Daniel, "A half-ascended Goa'uld? You mentioned something about having ascended a few days back; there were a lot of others things going on at the time and I couldn't ask for clarification. I think now would be a good time for you to explain what that meant."

"Sure," Daniel said. "But bear in mind that it is a complicated subject and it doesn't really have much relevance to the present subject. I'll just give you a general overview." Brennan nodded but it was Angela that answered.

"That's fine," Angela said. "If Bren here, or any of the others, have any questions, they'll ask them after we're done, right?" She asked and looked at every squint in turn, who just nodded their agreement.

"Fine," Daniel said as he shifted forward again. "Ascension is basically the process by which a person transcends to a higher plane of existance. It is usually achieved after a life long search for enligthment. The Ancients or the Gate builders were probably the first to achieved it; and though some lived normal human lives, most of them ascended. They have strict rules about helping 'less' developed life forms ascend; believing that the journey is dimineshed if the person can't reach the destination by him or herself."

"Not all the Ancients feel that way," Jack couldn't help commenting, earning a glare from Daniel and a nudge from Sam.

"No, not all Ancients feel like that," Daniel agreed, he paused to take another sip of water; this wasn't the most comfortable subject for him. "Oma Desala has helped those she considered worthy candidates ascend for centuries. One of those she helped happened to be me, another was the Goa'uld Anubis."

"I'm sorry," Brennan said as she cocked her head to the side. "How is a Goa'uld a worthy candidate for ascension? From all you've said, the Goa'uld are a parasitic race bent on world – no, on galactic domination."

"They are," Daniel concurred with a nod. "And Oma made a mistake helping Anubis, one she regretted for centuries and one for which she's still paying." When Brennan, Hodgins and Zack opened their mouths to ask Daniel more questions and Daniel looked ready to answer all questions, Booth intervened.

"No, Bones," he said, shaking his head. "I know you and the squints probably have a ton of questions for Daniel and I'm sure he'd be more than happy to answer them all. But let's just do as Angela said and asked them later, ok? Right now I'm more interested in hearing more about Ba'al than this Anubis. He's the one that seems be a part of his investigation." He looked at the squints and saw that all noted, some more reluctant than others. "Ok," Booth said as he looked back at Daniel. "So, this Anubis guy was basically an enhaced, more deadly Goa'uld who had access to some wicked powers, I bet?"

Daniel was impressed at the ease with which Booth grasped the concept and had to smile at the way he summarized it, bringing it down to the most basic level. Booth reminded Daniel a lot of Jack, who also had a knack to see the bottom line wihtout getting distracted by the superfluous details – however interesting they might be.

"Yes, that's about it," Daniel agreed.

"Right," Booth said with a nod. "Now, about this replicators?"

"Well," Daniel answered pushing up his glasses yet again. "There's not much more to say about them." He said with a shrug. "They were an artificial race of bug-like creatures whose sole purpose was to self-replicate. They 'ate' or assimilated any matter they encountered, including organic, though they preferred metalic matter. The imperative to self-replicate included the ruthless instict to annihilate anything or anyone that stood between them and the materials they needed."

"I see," Booth said after taking a moment to absorbed the idea such creatures existed. "So, both were bad – worse than the Goa'uld and that's why between them they defeated the Goa'uld."

"Yes," Daniel nodded, again, Booth had oversimplyfied the matter, but in essence it was correct.

"Fine," Booth nodded after looking at the squints to see if they had followed the explanations, while he saw some need for clarification, he also saw that they had grasped the basic concept and that was enough for the moment. "Can you go back to how Ba'al got to to Earth, please? 

"Sure," Daniel said and began where he left off. "In the confusion following the defeat of the System Lords, we lost track of Ba'al. It was assumed by most that he had died with the rest of his fleet in a replicator attack. It wasn't until months after that we learned differently." He paused as he looked at his team mates, as they all remembered those days.

"What happened?" Booth prompted when the silence had lingered a little longer than normal.

"Well," Daniel began. "A Jaffa that had been in service to a dead Goa'uld was found on a Virginia road. When we started to investigate, all the clues pointed to a Goa'uld being behind it. And what was more alarming, they also pointed to the fact that that Goa'uld was here on Earth and had somehow gained control of Farrow-Marshall."

"Farrow-Marshall?" Brennan asked as both Booth and Hodgins straightened in alarm. "Why does that name sound familiar?" She asked, looking at Booth.

"Because that is the most important aeronautics company in the country," answered Hodgins.

"And its biggest client is the Department of Defense," Booth added with a frown as he gazed at the military team before turning back to look at Daniel. "You're telling us that a Goa'uld, a _hostile alien_, was in charge of the biggest contractor the Department of Defense has?" He asked incredulous.

"Yes," Daniel said with a soft sigh, well accostumed to this reaction by military personnel. "That is what I'm saying."

"But, but," Booth began, not able to articulate how just _wrong_ that was.

"Major," Jack said in a soft voice, which immediately drew everyone's attention. "We know how serious the situation was but it has since been ratified. I understand your concern and . . . surprise but there's no need for it now." Booth looked at the general for a moment before nodding his acquiensence. The general then turned to Daniel and motioned for him to continue. After a nod, Daniel did.

"After the appropriate investigation was conducted, we discovered that Ba'al had cloned himself. We knew that at least one cloned had been executed by the Jaffas but we had no idea of how many he had created. The only thing we knew for sure was that the original Ba'al had not died and that there were more clones out there." Daniel paused again to see if there were any questions and when there weren't, he continued.

"A little over a year ago, Ba'al came to the SGC asking for help in rounding up all of his clones. He had a complicated story about why he needed our help and why it was in our interests to help him."

"You didn't believe him, I hope," surprisingly, the comment came from Angela.

"No, we didn't believe him," Daniel said, shaking his head. "But we also couldn't very well ignored what he was saying." Daniel sighed and took another sip of water. "To make a very long story short, despite all our precautions, he managed to escape us and take all of the clones with had managed to find with him."

"But while they were here, we were able to perform tests on them," Sam said, looking directly at the squints with a look that dared them to make a point out of the Ba'al and the clones's escape. Booth noticed that Sam and Jack still seemed to be holding hands and that the general had a look that promised a painful death if anyone took Sam up on her dare. Booth looked to the squints to make sure they stayed silent, but it seemed they had recognized the look because they were as quiet as mice.

"These are the tests Janet was referring to. All of their results came back identical. We hypothesized that only the original would have a difference – a sort of marker if you will. But we have never been able to examine the original. Actually," Sam added with a shrug, "we don't even know where the original one is."

"Ok," Booth said after a moment. "That explains that – sort of." Hodgins smirked and Brennan tried to hide a smile at Booth's characteristic comment. "It also explains why he's now our prime suspect but . . . there's more to this, isn't there?" Brennan looked at him, surprised. She didn't know what made him say that, but knowing him, he must have noticed something between the military personnel. "This Lt. Long," he said, looking at SG1. "There's something about him, isn't there?" he asked as he shifted his gaze to Janet. "Does it have anything to do with when he might have been cloned?"

Janet shifted under Booth's intense gaze and, like Sam; she turned to look at Jack. Brennan thought that both women were looking for permission before answering Booth's questions. Though, she understood the importance of chain of command and following orders, she didn't think she could live having someone else dictate what she could and could not say on a daily basis.

Jack nodded at them, giving them permission to answer the questions. Janet looked at Daniel, who had shifted and seemed to be ready to start answering. When Daniel turned and looked back at her, she took a deep breath and said, "Daniel, I'll tell it." He looked surprised for a minute but then gave her a small smile and a nod. With a last look at Jack and Sam, both of whom gave her encouraging nods, Janet began speaking.

**A/N2:** Well, I hope the long chapter and furthering of the plot, in some way makes up for the long wait and don't worry, there'll be more BB coming up next chapter and the awaited Angela revelations is coming up after that!!


	14. Chapter 14

**The Men From The Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Nope, still not mine

**A/N:** It wasn't as fast as I wanted, but I didn't take as long to finish it as the previous one. And the good news is, the following chapter just needs to be betaed and I've already started on the one after that and I have planned out the rest of the story and it's about another 6 chapters, more or less - well, by now you guys must know of my tendency to write more than I originally plan, don't you? By either way, I'm going to be sticking to this story until it's done. So, hopefully, it won't be much longer. I want to thank Ann for her help on last chapter and Puppet for her help on this one. And I want to take the time to thank those that take the time to review, it really means a lot and makes me write faster, so please read, enjoy and review!!!

**Chapter 14 **

"About four years ago, I was captured by Ba'al," she said in an even, calm tone, to the surprise of Booth, Brennan and the squints. "I, along with a few other SGC officers, were held captive for years. SG1 and General O'Neill were able to rescue us last year."

"Three years?" Booth, who knew how protective everyone at the base was of everyone else, was surprised at the length of the capture. "That was a long time," even though it was said as a statement, it was clear he wanted clarification.

"But how did this Guld," Zack started to ask at the same time as Booth.

"Goa'uld," Daniel and Vala corrected. Zack nodded and then continued with his point. "How did he get a hold of you? You're the doctor, how did he get past all the security here?"

Janet looked at Booth as she answered his question, "It took them three years to rescue us because they didn't know we had been abducted." She then turned to Zack, "And they didn't have any security to go through because I was off world when I was abducted." Those answers only created more questions and Janet raised her hands to stop the onslaught. "If you'd wait, I'm sure I'll answer all your questions in time." She paused and waited for everyone to nod before continuing.

"Dr. Addy is right, as CMO of the base, I rarely go off world. However, as is everyone that works in this base, I am fully qualified to go off world if the need ever arises. As it does from time to time, since every SG team invariably runs into some sort of problem at one time or another."

Jack shifted in his seat and shared a smirk with Mitchell and Vala couldn't resist mumbling, "Though some teams seem to run into more trouble than others." Sam and Daniel exchanged sheepish smiles and Janet ignored the commotion.

"SG13 had been on a normal, routine recon mission," Janet began, only to be interrupted again.

"Yeah, you know those routine recon missions are the worst," Jack said in a not so quiet whisper to Sam, who shushed him and nudged his side with her arm. Mitchell nodded wisely, Teal'c inclined his head in agreement, Vala nodded her head vigorously and Daniel looked thoughtful. Janet glared at Jack, who raised his hands in surrender, before she turned to look at the Jeffersonian team again.

"They found the ruins of an Ancient city and decided to stay and studied them, unfortunately they were soon ambushed. One of them, Wells, was badly hurt as they fled towards the Gate. He couldn't be moved and most of his team stayed behind to protect him while SG3 secured the Gate. SG1, 5 and 7 were sent back to rescue them and I went along with a medical team."

"Wait a minute," Brennan said, as she shifted forward on her chair, and leaned on the table. "You risked three more teams plus a medical one just to go back because one soldier had been hurt?" She asked, surprised. Booth grimaced and tried to quiet her before she finished the question, while every member of SG1 and Generals O'Neill and Landry stiffened at the other end of the table. Brennan, however, didn't notice the change in atmosphere and continued with her train of thought, "That seems like an illogical allocation of resources." Booth drew in a deep breath and closed his eyes waiting for the explosion he knew would most likely come from General O'Neill himself – Booth knew the general was a firm believer of the 'leave no one behind' school of thought and Booth was more than sure he would take Brennan's comment as an insult.

"First of all," Jack began in an even, cold tone that had all of SG1 shrinking a little in their chairs, "I don't consider any of the men and women under my command, resources that need to be allocated." Any feelings of kinship or admiration that Jack might have felt for Brennan were completely forgotten.

"They are human beings that deserve my respect and protection; we don't do profit/loss analysis before deciding who should be rescued and who shouldn't, because they all should. Each and every one of us know that every time we step through that Gate, it could be our last; we know what we could be facing on the other side and that a return trip is never guaranteed – no matter how routine the mission might seem. And yet, we all still step through it time and time again because that is our duty and that is what needs to be done. And one of the reasons we can keep stepping through it, no matter how many times we get into a bad situation, is the absolute knowledge that those that stay behind will be there if and when we need them – no matter the odds, no matter the cost. We know that the cavalry is always one call away and that no one will be left behind – absolutely no one." Jack had also leaned forward when he started to speak and by the end he was leaning his forearms on the table. He hadn't taken his eyes away from Brennan's from the beginning and despite his irritation with her he couldn't help but be impressed by her refusal to look away.

"But that doesn't make . . ." Brennan began to protest and Jack's frown became more pronounced; her arguments were very similar to the inquiry that had come after the incident and were bringing up some very unpleasant memories of that time. Sam knew what was on his mind and put her hand on his shoulder to try and calm him down, while Angela beat Booth in interrupting Brennan.

"Sweetie," Angela said, as she touched Brennan's arm and made her turn her head. "What if it was one of us? What wouldn't you do? What wouldn't you risk to rescue us?" Angela stared into Brennan's eyes to try and make her see the point. "When it was Booth that was missing, what didn't you do? What was off limits when you were looking for him?"

"Nothing," Brennan answered in a whisper, "But that was different," she argued. "I mean you're my family . . . Booth is . . ."

"You're family too," Angela finished for her when she trailed off. "Well, that's what every body on this base considers themselves. They are a family, sweetie, and there's nothing they wouldn't risk to bring everyone back." Brennan still looked at Angela for a few seconds longer, before turning to look at Booth, with a questioning look. When he nodded his agreement with Angela, Brennan turned and looked back at Jack.

"I'm sorry," she told the hard faced general. "I hadn't realized how close you all are. I understand now why you would take such foolish risks." Booth groaned and let his head fall back on the chair's head rest, while Angela just gave an apologetic smile and shrug to the military team. Jack just studied the doctor for a long, silent moment before giving a nod in acknowledgment of the apology, however awkward it might have been. He knew that some of the decisions that were taken when rescuing someone weren't the smartest ever made and the fact that Brennan recognized that, but still recognized that they needed to be made, and more than that, that she had been willing to make those same foolish decisions herself, redeemed her in Jack's eyes. He then turned back to Janet and, with a nod, told her to continue.

"To make a long story short," Janet said, once again picking up the story where she'd left off, without really acknowledging the interruption "I was shot point blank by a staff weapon while I was trying to stabilize Wells enough to move him."

"Shot by a staff weapon?" Booth, who had been training with Teal'c using the alien weapon, asked. "Were you wearing a ceramic polymer insert in your vest?"

"No," Janet said, shaking her head as Brennan looked at Booth in surprised. "Those were still in the testing phase and only the SG teams had received them."

Angela noticed how Sam frowned and shifted in her seat, moving imperceptibly closer to Jack and wondered about the story behind the raw emotion reflected in the colonel's eyes.

"But," Booth said, as he shifted in his seat, and leaned on the table. "A point blank shot by a staff weapon without the protective insert would be fatal."

"Yes, it is," was Janet's calm and matter of fact answer, which brought complete silence to Booth, Brennan and the rest of the squints for a few seconds before they all started talking at once.

"Hold on," Jack said and when that didn't work, he shouted, "HEY, QUITE DOWN!!" That brought silence to the room and Jack nodded for Janet to keep going.

"How much do you know about Goa'uld technology?" she asked and though it seemed out of the blue, they all answered.

"Not much," Brennan said, she had been too busy studying the alien body to pay attention to alien technology. Cam and Hodgins shook their heads also, he had been too busy studying the different flora and she had been studying past medical reports. Angela was saying "nothing," while Zack asked, "you're talking about the sarcophagus, aren't you?"

Everyone turned to look at him while Janet nodded and said, "Yes, how much do you know?"

"Well, for what I gathered, it's supposed to be a machine that cures any illness or injury, even those that are fatal if used within a specific timeframe after the injury," Zack answered in a doubtful tone. "But I thought that it was an exaggeration."

"No," Janet said, shaking her head. "No exaggeration. The sarcophagus does exactly that."

"So, you have one here at the base?" Booth asked, still not sure where the story was going.

"No," Daniel answered. "We haven't been able to obtain one; but because of the side effects from prolonged exposure and the temptation of using it too much, that is probably a good thing," he added in a very somber tone and Jack nodded his agreement. Booth caught Mitchell's eye and was reminded of the other man's comment about the high price Jack had had to pay to be in such great physical shape.

"Then how . . .?" Booth asked to get the conversation back on topic. This was all very interesting but he still wanted to know what it had to do with the case.

"Wells wasn't the only one injured by that time," Janet said, deciding to take the bull by the horns and going right to the point. "Several men had been injured, including General. O'Neill, who at that time was a colonel." That bit of information answered Angela's earlier curiosity.

"The enemy was gaining on us and it was imperative that those injured were brought back to the base," Janet continued. "I had stabilized Wells, but knew that, if he didn't receive further medical assistance, and promptly, he wasn't going to make it," she paused and then added as an afterthought, "His wife was due with their first child at any moment. There wasn't much time, everything was very chaotic and some choices had to be made." It was the way she was almost excusing those choices that made Booth realize what she wasn't saying.

"They left you behind," it wasn't a question; Booth had been in enough tough situations, where the best of equally distasteful choices had to be made, to know that he was right. Brennan and the rest of the squints looked shocked and, after looking at Booth, turned to look at Janet, who was nodding her head.

"As far as they knew," she said in a remarkably stable voice given the topic of conversation, "I was dead. There were others that weren't but would be if they were not brought back. It was a triage decision: save those you can and leave those you can't." She paused and turned to look at Daniel and Jack before adding, "It was the right choice, and the only decision that could have been made."

"Ok," Booth said, after a moment of silence, while everyone tried to absorb the new information. "So, I'm guessing that whoever had been behind the attack recovered your body and put you in this," he waved his hand about, "sarcophagus and brought you back to life." He waited for Janet to nod her assent before continuing, "And since you just said that it had been Ba'al that had kept you prisoner for three years, I think it's safe to say that it was Ba'al behind the attack."

"Well," Daniel, always the literal one, said, "It had actually been Anubis but Ba'al was working with him, so I guess you could say that."

Booth looked at Daniel for a few seconds and thought how alike all the squints were deep down, even if some had military training. "Ok, so it was Ba'al and Anubis. But I still don't see how all of this, however interesting, is relevant to this investigation."

"While we were prisoners," Janet began again. "Ba'al conducted a number of medical tests on us." That was enough for Booth's suspicions to be confirmed.

"Lt. Long was one of those officers that were held captive with you, wasn't he?" Booth asked and Janet nodded.

"Yes, he was." She answered. "When we were rescued, General O'Neill and I downloaded the results of all those tests before destroying the lab. Unfortunately, that hadn't been the only lab we'd been in and we always knew that there was a very good chance Ba'al had kept a copy of the results somewhere else."

"Could he get what he needs to clone you guys from those tests?" Booth asked, even though he was pretty sure of the answer already.

"Yes," Janet said. "We've been studying the results ever since we got back and even though we never really thought of this particular use – we were thinking more along the lines of some virus or even some way of controlling us – he has more than enough to clone all of us."

"Well," Hodgins said, once Janet was done, "I'd say he did find a way of controlling you." The point, obvious as it may seem to some, took the military personnel in the room by surprise.

"Sir," Booth asked, looking at O'Neill and ignoring Hodgins' point. "Are all the personnel that was rescue with Dr. Frazier accounted for?"

"Yes, those that are not already on the base," Jack answered, "are being brought in as we speak."

"Good," Booth said, nodding his head as Janet turned to Jack.

"General O'Neill, sir" she began, straightening her shoulders, "I believe it might be best if I am put under guard until it is verified that I am in fact, the original Dr. Frazier."

Sam and Daniel grimaced while Mitchell, Teal'c and Vala looked sad and the squints and Brennan looked surprised at the doctor's suggestion. Jack examined Janet for a few seconds, not liking the proposed action, but knowing it was necessary and Booth nodded his head absently in agreement with the doctor.

"Is there a way to make sure," Booth began as Janet rose and the airmen Jack had motioned came over to escort her to a VIP room, "that you are, you know, the original you?" He asked, a bit awkwardly because really, how do you tactfully ask someone if they're really them?

"Yes," Janet answered as she stepped away from her chair, not caring if she was repeating information, she had thrown a lot at them after all. "We have my medical records from before I was captured; we just have to compare those with the results from the test I'll be taking now. We already know exactly where to look to find out if I'm the original or not, thanks to my work on Lt. Long."

"Good," Booth said again. But Brennan was frowning, as something had occurred to her.

"Is there any way to know how many clones," Brennan started to ask, not believing she was asking such a thing in a serious conversation, "Might have been made of each of you?"

"No," Janet answered very somberly. "There's not." That answer brought a grave silence to the table as Janet left the room.

"But," Booth said after awhile, breaking the silence. "Once they are here, we can make sure that their clearance is curtailed everywhere else and if anyone tries to take advantage of their military status, we'd catch them."

"Plus," Sam added, "We'd be able to test them and find out if they're the originals or not."

"Yes," Mitchell agreed. "But we still need to figure out how many clones were made." He said as he looked around the table.

"Yes, we do," Jack agreed. "One of the things you said you could determine," he added looking over at the squints, "was where those two men were prior to them being blown up. How much progress have you made on that?"

"Well," Hodgins said as he shifted forward in his seat. "We've actually made quite a bit of progress. We've already identified, or at least isolated, all of the particulates and have been matching them with those on your planet database."

"Yes," Daniel agreed, as he pushed his glasses up further on his nose and then linked his hands over his stomach. "We have cut the number of possible planets in half and now that we know for certain that Ba'al is involved, we can cut that number even more."

"Do you think you can cut it down to a manageable number?" Jack asked.

"Yes," Daniel said after a few second's thoughts. "I think so; after all there aren't that many planets where we know Ba'al has a base."

"Good," Jack said, nodding his head, "how long?"

"A few hours," Daniel answered with a shrug.

"Good," Jack said with a decisive nod. "Then you can start going to those planets tomorrow," even though it was said as a statement, SG1 nodded their heads in agreement.

"Ah," Hodgins said and raised his hand, which caused Angela and Cam to smirk. "Are we going with them?"

"No," Jack answered simply and firmly, without even stopping to think about it.

"But, but," Hodgins protested as he looked around at the squints for support. "How are they gonna know which is the right planet, without me to do the appropriate tests?"

"Oh, well," Jack said slowly as if speaking to a child. "They can do as they always do and conduct a visual recon."

"But of the whole planet?" Hodgins insisted as he leaned on the table.

"We have machines for aerial recon," Jack informed him. "But if you think the tests you do are so important, then just teach them to Sam and Daniel," Jack suggested with a shrug. "I'm sure that between the two of them, they'll be able to follow any of your instructions." Jack's voice was dry; he knew that his eggheads were more than a match for the squints.

"Oh, um," Hodgins said as he shifted, "I'm sure they would but well, I'd like to go."

"No," Jack said decisively. "This is not a walk in the park; they'll be taking on a dangerous mission. You don't have the training to go."

Hodgins opened his mouth to protest, but Angela's hand on his arm, and the look in the general's eye stopped him.

"General," Booth said, after a few moment's of silence, and just as the general was about to get up. Brennan had an idea of what he was going to say by the tone of his voice and she turned to look at him in alarm.

"Major," Jack said with a nod, giving Booth permission to speak.

"General," Booth said again, stronger this time. "Request permission to accompany SG1 on its mission, sir."

Neither Jack nor SG1 looked surprised at Booth's request but all the squints, with the exception of Brennan, did. After a few seconds of studying Booth's eyes, Jack nodded and said.

"You've been going through the training," it wasn't a question, but Booth answered it anyway.

"Yes, sir, I have." He said with a nod, even as Brennan sat frozen, next to him.

"Mitchell," Jack said, without looking from Booth. Even though he didn't say anything else, Mitchell knew what he wanted and answered accordingly.

"He's been great, sir," Mitchell answered, without hesitation. "He picks up things very quickly, has no problem following orders, but knows when to, um, take the initiative, shall we say?" Mitchell said with a smirk that was reflected by Sam and Vala. "He's very good at tactical analysis, assessing a situation, and reading people. I have no problem with him going with us."

Jack turned to look at Mitchell to see if he was serious and saw that he was. He then turned to look at Teal'c and said simply, "T?"

"I agree with Colonel Mitchell, O'Neill," Teal'c said with a small incline of his head. "Major Booth is one of the few natural born warriors your planet has to offer. He, in fact, reminds me a little of you." His answer was, as usual, short and to the point, impressing everyone present – Booth actually blushed. Coming from Teal'c, it was the highest form of praise, and because it came from Teal'c, everyone knew it was true.

"That's good enough for me," Jack said with a nod. "Major, you're to join SG1 tomorrow at 0800."

"Thank you, sir," Booth said with a nod.

"Good," Jack said and with a last nod at everyone, started to say, "Dismissed," when Brennan interrupted him.

"Wait, what about me?" Brennan said, looking directly at Jack.

"What about you?" Jack asked, while a surprised Booth turned to look at her.

"I'm his partner," Brennan explained, with a frown, as she leaned forward and spoke with intensity. "If he goes then I go too."

"No," Jack spoke, slowly, but firmly. "No, you don't."

"I always go with him when he goes out into the field," Brennan argued. "The FBI doesn't have a problem with it anymore. And anyway," she added, "it was Booth's decision if he took me or not."

"Well," Jack began, after a few seconds, while everyone looked at her as if she'd grown two heads, and Booth tried to quiet her. "That might be how it works when you're on cases for the FBI but this is different. This is the Air Force and we do things a little differently here. For instance, I am the one that gets to decide who goes on missions and who doesn't, not Booth. And I say that since you don't have the training, you are not going on tomorrow's mission."

Brennan opened her mouth to protest, but Booth took hold of her elbow and squeezed it to quiet her. Jack looked around and said, "Well, if that's all," with one last look around, he pushed back from the table and said, "Dismissed." The military personnel around the table stood up with Jack, saluted and waited until he walked away before going back to their duties.

"Why did you stop me?" Brennan asked, as she too stood up and turned to face Booth, with her hands on her hips.

"Because, he's right!" Booth said, in a low voice. "He's the one that gives the orders around here and you have no training to go off world, Bones!"

"I have no FBI training either, and yet I always go with you when you're in the field," she protested.

"That's different," Booth said exasperatedly as he raked his fingers through his hair.

"Why?" she persisted. "Why is that any different?"

"For God's sake, Bones!!" Booth exclaimed. "We're going off world, Bones. Don't you think that makes this situation a little bit different?"

"Well, if that's the case, why are you going?" She asked, as she crossed her arms, and stared up at him.

"What do you mean 'Why I am going?" he asked, confused. "I am the soldier here, Bones," he patiently explained. "See," he said, showing her his lapel where his rank was displayed, "this means that I am a Major in the United States Army."

"I know that, Booth," she said, waving his hand aside. "But you trained as a Ranger; you don't have a training to go off-world either."

"Bones, didn't you hear what Mitchell and Teal'c said? I've been going through their training," he told her.

"Yeah, I heard what they said," she responded, grudgingly. "Though I don't see how they can say you're read to go off-world with just two days of training."

"Well," Booth said with a smirk, "You heard Teal'c; I'm a natural born warrior."

"Yeah, well," Brennan said with a frown, "I don't see why that is such a big deal; what's so great about being a warrior anyway? And again how can he tell that when he just met you, what, three days ago?"

Booth's smirk slowly faded, as she was talking, until it was completely replaced by a fierce frown. "You know what your problem is, Bones? You just can't stand it that I can be better than you at something."

"What?" Brennan asked, confused. She didn't understand why his attitude had changed. "NO, of course not!" She vehemently denied. "How can you say that? _Why_ would you say that?"

"Well," Booth said as he straightened his shirt. "Maybe because of how you're acting right now or maybe because of your reaction earlier when you found out I have a JD. Like you couldn't believe I was smart enough to get an advance degree."

"What? Booth, No!" She protested. "Of course not, I just . . ."

"You know what, Bones?" Booth interrupted her. "I have a mission to go get ready for. I don't have time for this."

"No, Booth, . . . Wait," she said, but he just shook his head and walked away, leaving a very confused and bewildered Brennan staring after him.


	15. Chapter 15

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **I hereby attest that the only thing I own is the plot of this story; the characters, their background and their universe do not belong to me.

**A/N:** Well, here's the next chapter. Three days, aren't you impressed? The next chapter is almost done so it should be out this weekend. Three chapters in one week, woohoo!! I want to thank puppet for the help and to everyone that was nice enough to review. As most of you know, I am not an angst fan, so here's the resolution to last chapter's little cliffie. Hope you enjoy it!!

**Chapter 15**

"Well, was that really necessary?" Angela asked, as she came to stand next to where Brennan was standing still looking at the door Booth had walked out of.

"What?" Brennan asked as she turned to look at her best friend. "What do you mean?"

"I mean," Angela explained, "was it really necessary for you to undermine his accomplishment?"

"What?" Brennan asked, shocked. "That's not what I did!!" She honestly did not know why Booth had reacted like he had.

"Yes, Bren, that is what you did," Angela argued. She might not have heard what Booth said, but she had definitely heard Brennan's contribution to the argument. "You said, and I quote, 'I don't see why that is such a big deal; what's so great about being a warrior anyway? And again how can he tell that when he just met you what, three days ago?' end quote. Now tell me how that doesn't undermine his accomplishment?"

"I didn't," Brennan started to protest but then stopped and in a lower voice said, "I did say that, didn't I?"

"Yes, you did," Angela confirmed, nodding her head.

"I . . . Oh, shoot!" Brennan said as she turned from looking at the door to once again looking at Angela, "I didn't mean it that way, Angela!"

"No, I can see you didn't," Angela agreed when she saw how distraught Brennan was. "But, then what _did_ you mean to say?"

"I was just," Brennan started to say and then trailed off, shaking her head. "I don't know, Angela. I'm just so angry and frustrated that the general won't let me go off-world with Booth tomorrow; and so angry at Booth because he didn't let me try to convince the general." She shook her head once again and with a shrug added, "I guess I wasn't thinking about what I was saying."

"Well, you better start thinking now," Angela suggested, "Because you're going to have to find some way to explain and apologize to Booth."

"Yeah, I guess so," Brennan agreed even though she didn't sound very enthusiastic about the prospect. "I just wished he'd let me argue my case. I could have convinced him."

"Why do you want to go off-world so much?" Angela asked, with a slight frown.

"What do you mean?" Brennan asked with a confused frown. "I'm Booth's partner; I'm always with him when he goes out into the field."

"Yes, but this is different, Bren," Angela unknowingly repeated Booth's argument.

"That's what Booth said!" Brennan exclaimed, raising her hand in an exasperated gesture. "But I don't see what the big difference is."

"You don't see . . .?" Angela began to ask, incredulous. "Brennan, Booth is going to be going off-world tomorrow; as in, he's going to walk through that metal thing out there," she said pointing in the direction of the Gate, "and end up on another planet!! Where he's going to be looking for the lab of a very evil, very sadistic Alien!! Who, if what all I've heard is correct, has an army at his disposal equipped with some very sophisticated and deadly weapons!! This is not a case where we're looking for a normal murderer or a regular psychopath or your garden variety serial killer! Come on, Brennan, the villain of this little drama is an alien warlord that has the ability to create clones. Clones, Brennan! How can you not see the difference?"

"Well, he's still a bad guy," Brennan argued. "And that's what we do, catch bad guys together; we catch them together!" she insisted.

"Yes, you do," Angela conceded. "But this is not a case where you can just follow wherever he goes and think that you can keep up with him!"

"Why, not?" Brennan asked, stubbornly. "I've always done it before."

Angela just looked at Brennan, shaking her head. She couldn't believe how stubborn, unreasonable and downright irrational she was being about the subject.

"Come on, Brennan," Angela tried once more, "You have to realize that this is different. You are not trained for this kind of thing. And," she held up her hand to stop Brennan from speaking when she opened her mouth. "Don't tell me that you don't have FBI training, either and yet still go into the field."

"Why not?" Brennan repeated. "It's the truth."

"It might be the truth," Angela said, "but it is also irrelevant to this discussion. One, because as General O'Neill pointed out, this is not an FBI matter; and two, because your lack of training in this situation would more than likely lead to someone being hurt or worse."

"Oh, come on, Angela," Brennan scoffed. "Now you're being melodramatic."

"No, I'm not," insisted Angela. "Look Brennan, going off on your own in the streets of DC, confronting suspects on your own, conning Booth into giving you his spare weapon, feeling confident because you know three martial arts – all of those things might work when you're working a regular case," Angela pointed out, ignoring Brennan's spurts of protests about some of the characterizations.

"But this is no a REGULAR CASE," Angela said once more, putting extra emphasis on the last two words and causing Brennan to close her mouth. "Hell, Brennan, this is not even a case," she said as she threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "This is a freaking MILITARY MISSION, for God's sake!!! Trained soldiers are going to go off tomorrow into enemy territory. And they've trained for years for this, Bren. They know how to behave in any given situation; they know how to communicate without words, they know how to operate really weird weapons, they know how the enemy thinks, they know how to stay quiet and focused on the mission. Hell, they know how to follow orders without arguing about it! Do _you_ know how to do any of those things?" Angela asked pointedly. "Huh? You couldn't even follow a simple order to stay quiet without asking a million questions or disputing every word!! And you know it!! You'll be a hazard in the field, Brennan. You'll be putting everyone at risk and Booth couldn't concentrate on what he had to do because he'd be too busy worrying about you!"

"But Angela," Brennan insisted, even if everything Angela had just said was true. "I have to go with him tomorrow; don't you see I just have to be there!"

Angela took a deep breath to calm down and noticed what a nervous wreck Brennan had become. Something else, than just wanting to do everything Booth did, was at play there.

"Why?" Angela asked, softly. "Why do you have to go with him?"

"Because if I don't go with him something terrible is going to happen to him!" was the not very rational answer.

"Brennan, what do you mean?" Angela asked, confused. "What is going to happen to him? I mean it's a dangerous mission sure, but you're talking about something specific aren't you?"

"Yes," Brennan answered and then shook her head, "No. I don't know. I just," she took a deep breath and sat down in the chair she'd vacated earlier. "I just have this horrible feeling that if I'm not with him, he could be horribly hurt, Angela," Brennan finally confessed, looking up at Angela from her seat.

"Oh, sweetie," Angela said sympathetically, as she sat down next to Brennan and reached across the space and squeezed Brennan's hand. "That's . . ."

"Irrational," Brennan finished for Angela, when the artist seemed to be looking for the correct word. "I know."

"No," Angela denied with a soft smile. "I was going to say 'sweet'."

Brennan scoffed again and said, "It's not sweet; it's completely illogical."

"It's normal, hon," Angela disagreed. "It's completely normal, even if it is a little irrational."

"Normal?" Brennan asked, skeptically. "How can it be normal?"

"Because, sweetie, you two have been through some serious stuff these past three years – you've been held at gunpoint, kidnapped, tortured, blown up, buried alive, drugged, framed and targeted by the government." Angela paused to take a breath as both friends briefly remembered all those occasions.

"And you've been there for each other through it all; you've survived all of it because you've had each other. At different times, you've saved him and he's saved you, but you've always been together. You've always been close enough to know when the other needed saving. And now he's going off without you, where you won't be able to know if he needs you and that's freaking you out. You won't know what's going on and you won't be able to take control and that sweetie," Angela said with a smile, "goes against your very nature."

Brennan was silent for a minute, thinking about what Angela had said. It was true, she liked to know just where Booth was and what he was doing at any given moment and he was the same; not having that knowledge didn't sit well with either of them. And knowing that she won't be able to be there, if something did happen, that she won't be able to take action to help him . . . yeah, Angela was right, it went against everything she was.

"Yeah, ok," she finally said, as she took a deep breath and sat back on her chair. "I guess that does sort of make sense."

"Of course it does, sweetie," Angela confirmed.

"So," Brennan asked after another few moments of silence, "What do I do now?"

"Well," Angela said as she shifted in her chair. "Now, you go and talk to that hunk of a FBI partner of yours and explain why you say what you did."

"And then?" Brennan asked and at Angela's furrowed brow, explained, "He's going off world tomorrow, Angela. What do I do about that? Do I keep trying to get permission to go? Do . . .?"

"No," Angela interrupted her before she could finish. "Sweetie, you need to let this go and just accept the fact that it's not a good idea that you go; in fact, it is a very bad idea."

"But, Angela," she insisted, "What do I do?"

"You do what countless other persons have done before you," Angela answered. "You trust him; you trust that he's been trained enough and that he's good enough to do what he has to do and come home in one piece. And you tell him that; you tell him that you know he's going to be fine and do great out there. You come tomorrow morning to see him off; you hug and kiss him,"

"Angela!" Brennan protested, but Angela just shrugged and said.

"What? A kiss, only on the cheek ." She shook her head before continuing, "And then you are going to stand with me and the rest of the squints in the control room and wave him off. And then," she said as Brennan opened her mouth again, "and then you're going to wait and pray and trust that he'll be back safe."

"I don't believe in God, Angela," Brennan reminded her, "Why would I pray?"

"Ok, then," Angela corrected herself. "_You_ wait and trust and _I'll_ wait, pray and trust, Ok?"

"Ok," Brennan said with a half nod, "I can do that."

"Of course you can, sweetie," Angela said, patting Brennan's hand. A commotion in the general's office drew Angela's attention; Brennan was too caught up in her own thoughts to be mindful of anything else. "You know," Angela added after a moment. "You won't be alone in the waiting."

"Yes, I know," Brennan said with a small smile. "You, Cam and the guys will be here."

"No, I mean of course we'll be. But that's not what I meant," Angela explained. "I meant that General O'Neill will also be waiting for his wife to come home. If anyone knows what you're feeling, it's him."

It was a measure of how preoccupied Brennan was that she didn't protest that Angela was comparing her feelings to those of a married man towards his wife. Angela noticed the lack of argument but decided that it was not the moment to point it out.

Brennan looked towards Jack's office and said, "That's true; he gets to see his wife go off into the unknown and has to stay behind. But it's not the first time; he does it all the time." Brennan mused out loud. "I wonder if he's used to it by now."

"I don't think that that is something to which one can get used to, Bren," Angela pointed out. "No matter how many times you go through it."

"No, probably not, you're right," Brennan agreed. "Well, I guess I better go and talk to Booth, huh?"

"Yeah, sweetie," Angela agreed. "You should."

"Ok, then," Brennan said as she pushed herself up from the chair. "I'll see you later."

"Yes, sweetie," Angela said as she too got up. "I'll see you later."

With a last nod, Brennan left. Hodgins came up to Angela, as the anthropologist left the room.

"Everything ok with her?" he asked, as he put his arm around Angela's waist, nodding towards where Brennan had been.

"A little disagreement with Booth," Angela answered. "But everything should be fine. In fact," she added with a wide smile. "If I'm not mistaken, my favorite non-couple will soon be a genuine couple."

"You think?" he asked with a wide grin of his own.

"Oh, yeah," she affirmed, nodding her head. "I can almost guarantee that they'll be together before we go back home."

---------------

Brennan didn't know where Booth might have gone after he left the conference room. In fact, hearing that he had been going through off world training with Mitchell and Teal'c had come as a shock. She had thought that he had . . . well, she had no idea what she had though he'd been doing but getting ready to go off-world had not been it. She shook her head to clear it of images of a wounded Booth being brought back across the Gate and tried to think of where he could be.

She then remembered that he had said he had a mission to get ready for and decided that the best place to look for him would be in the office of the man in charge of said mission. In other words, Brennan decided to go check Mitchell's office; if Booth wasn't there, Mitchell might at least know where she could look next.

She had to ask for directions, a couple of times, but was able to locate the office of the SG-1's co-CO without major problems.

"Excuse me," she said as she knocked on the open door and leaned inside. She looked around and saw that Booth was sitting in front of Mitchell's desk, Mitchell was behind it and Teal'c was standing right next to it. It looked like they were about to begin planning the damn mission. "Do you think I could I speak with Booth for a minute?" She directed the question at Mitchell; she knew enough about the military to know that in that situation the highest ranking officer would have to dismiss the lower one.

"Bones, I'm a bit busy here," Booth began to protest, but Mitchell cut him off. The Colonel had noticed that Booth had been a bit off and thought that giving him a chance to fix whatever had gone wrong with the good doctor would only help everyone in the long run. There was nothing worse than an officer that had his head on his romantic problems and not on the coming mission.

"No, that's ok," he said and waved Booth's objection away. "We're just getting started and the others aren't even here yet. You've got some time, go ahead."

Booth looked from Brennan to Mitchell and, thought about protesting, but decided to just get it over with. "Thank you," he said with a nod to Mitchell as he got up.

"The office next door is empty if you'd like a quiet place to talk," Mitchell offered with a smile.

"Thanks again," Booth repeated and with a hand on the small of her back, he guided Brennan out of Mitchell's office and into the empty one next door. After closing the door, he laid his head on it for a few seconds before taking a deep breath and turning to look at her. "Bones, I really . . ." He began as he stood rigid in front of her.

"No, Booth," Brennan said, after taking a deep breath herself, she stepped up to him and put two fingers against his lips to silence him. "Please, just let me, ok? I know I hurt you and . . . just please let me explain," She implored him with her words and the look in her eyes.

"Bones," Booth said with a groan, but at the look in her eyes, he exhaled forcefully and gave in. "Ok, sure, go ahead." She nodded and let her hand fall from his lips.

"I'm sorry," Brennan began after a few seconds. "I really am sorry, Booth."

"What are you sorry about?" He couldn't help but ask, not really ready to forgive and forget yet.

"About saying that there's nothing special about being a warrior. I never meant to make it sound like it's not a huge achievement or that you shouldn't be proud of it."

"Well, then why did you say it?" He asked with a frown, though she could tell he was softening, his stance wasn't as rigid anymore. "You rarely, if ever, say things you don't mean."

"I know," she answered with a sigh, as her eyes fell from his to where her hand had come to rest on his chest. "I guess I just . . ." she stopped to take a deep breath and he couldn't help but notice that throughout their exchange she hadn't taken her hand from his chest. She had in fact begun to move her fingers and play with the material of his shirt.

"Bones, what is it?" He finally asked, when her silence had gone on for several seconds. At the sound of his voice, her eyes jumped back up to his and with another deep breath she took the jump.

"I was afraid, Booth," was her surprising answer. "I am afraid."

"Afraid?" Booth asked a few seconds later, when he recovered from the shock. "Afraid of what? Of me?'

"No, not of you," she denied, shaking her head. "Of course not of you. I'm afraid for you."

"For me?" It seemed that the surprises kept coming. "Why?"

"Why?" She repeated, disbelieving. "Booth, you are going off-world tomorrow!"

"I know, Bones," he agreed, patiently. "And you can't come with me."

"I know that, Booth!" she told him, sounding exasperated as she took her hand off his chest, turned and took a few steps away from him. "I know I can't come with you," she repeated as she wrapped her arms around her middle. "I don't have the training and would probably put you in more danger if I were to go."

"That's right," he said slowly, as he studied her back, wondering what had happened in the last half hour that had made her see reason. "I'd be more worried about you than anything else."

"Yes," she agreed, nodding her head slightly.

"Bones," he said, when it was obvious she wasn't going to say anything else. "This is not the first time I have gone on a mission you know." He finally ventured, trying to reassure her on the fear she'd admitted. "I went on missions all the time when I was in the Army. This will probably not be much different."

"Oh, please!" she said with a snort. "As everyone keeps reminding me, this is completely different, Booth; you'll be going off-world – as in, you will be leaving this planet and going onto another to look for an evil alien's lab."

And as the words left her mouth, Booth had his answer about her change in attitude; it was more than clear that Angela had somehow intervened and he could only be grateful for that.

"Ok, so it will be a little different," he allowed, but she turned around and fixed him with a glare and he hastily amended. "A lot different. But still, this is what I've trained for. I'll be fine."

"I don't know that," she said. "How can I know that if I won't be there?"

"Bones, you can't . . ."

"Can't come," she repeated with him. "I already told you that I know that. That doesn't change the fact that you will be going out there," she said waving her hand around to indicate outer space, "While I'll be stuck in this mountain having no clue as to what's going on."

"I know it'll be difficult," he said and her eyes told him that he knew no such thing. "But it's not like it's the first time I have gone into the field by myself."

"Actually, it is," she disagreed, as she put her hands in her pants pockets. "This will be the first time that you have done something like this without me since we began working together."

"What about those months when Zack was in Iraq?" he argued. "You barely came into the field with me then."

"We didn't have any major cases during that time," she argued back. "The most you did on your own was to go to the crime scenes and interview a few suspects. There were no major dangerous situations. In the three plus years we've been working together, you have never gone into a potentially dangerous situation without me there or at the very least without me knowing exactly where you were and what you were doing."

He very well couldn't deny any of that because it was all true, still, "I was an FBI agent going into dangerous situations before we became partners, Bones. Not to mention the fact that I was a Ranger. I know how to take care of myself; I mean let's not forget that Teal'c thinks I'm a natural warrior." He added with a smirk, hoping to get a smile out of her. It didn't work.

"Don't joke about this, Booth." She told him, seriously. "It is not a joking matter."

"Ok," he said as he studied her worried face. "I'm sorry, you're right. It's not a joking matter. But, I do know how to take care of myself, Temperance. There's nothing to worry about."

"I know you know how to take care of yourself, Booth," she told him as she took her hands from her pockets and crossed her arms tightly around her torso. "That's not the point."

"Then could you please," he asked, as he took a few steps towards her. "Tell me what _is _the point? Because I'm a bit lost here."

"The point is that you're going off-world, to a place we know nothing about, to look for one of the worst aliens there is and no one knows what you will find and I won't be there to make sure you're safe!" she told him, in a forceful tone, as she took a step closer to him.

"And don't you dare tell me again that I can't go," she told him, when he opened his mouth to do just that. He closed it with a snap and decided to just listen. "I know I can't go and that's fine. Why would I want to go wandering all over an alien planet?" she asked, with just the right note of disinterest, but they both knew it was a lie, she'd love to go wandering all over new planets and see what she could find.

"But whether I can or can't go, or whether I want or don't want to go, is beside the point. The point is that you will be going, and I won't be there to make sure you're alright. I won't be there to back you up if you need it, or to give you the answers you need. Hell, I won't even know if you need help because you will be on another damn planet!! What happens if you need me? How can I help you if I don't even know you need?!" Her voice had risen steadily throughout her speech and by the end she was all but shouting.

"Bones," Booth said, after a few seconds, where the only sound in the room was Brennan's excited breathing. "You do know I'm not going alone; I'm going as back up to SG1, the best and most experience gate team there is. They always come back safe and sound and in the more than ten years of its existence, not one member has died."

"Yes, well," Brennan said with a grimace, "If even half of what I've heard of SG1 is true that doesn't really comfort me. Safe and sound is a very relative term for them and death doesn't seem to have the same meaning in this place as it does in the rest of the world."

"Yeah," Booth agreed with half a smile, "death doesn't seem to be quite so permanent around here, does it?" He asked, thinking not only of Dr. Frazier but also of the experiences of Dr. Jackson and the rest of SG1.

"No, apparently not," Brennan agreed.

"Well, then," Booth said. "That's a good thing, isn't it?"

"Booth," she said, sternly, "I do not want you to take foolish chances just because there is some weird alien technology that seems to be able to bring people back from the dead. First of all, you've heard them, they don't have it here and second, I do not want to . . . I mean, what if they can't get you to it on time, what would I tell Parker?"

"It's ok, Bones," Booth said with a tender smile, knowing she wasn't only thinking about Parker. "I don't take foolish chances; you are the reckless one in this relationship, not me."

She snorted at that pronouncement, well aware that if he deemed it necessary, he was more than able to take some very foolish chances.

"Just please," she said seriously, though not quite pleading – that wasn't her style. "Be careful."

"I will," he promised her solemnly. "Temperance, you gotta trust that I know what I'm doing and that I will be back. And," he added because he knew her better than she knew herself sometimes. "You have to believe that no matter how exciting things may get out there, there is nothing that could be as exciting enough to tempt me away from my life in DC, from my work, my friends, Parker . . . and you." He added, knowing he was pushing the boundaries they'd set, but taking the chance, since she hadn't protested when he'd said 'relationship' instead of 'partnership' a few minutes earlier.

"You have to know that I will come back and I once I do, I won't want to leave again," he told her, as he reached up, and cradled her cheek with his hand. "Ok?" He asked, looking intently into her eyes.

"Ok," she said softly, as she got lost in the brown depths of his eyes. "I trust you, Booth," she added, remembering what Angela had said. "I trust you more than I've ever trusted anyone else and I know that you can take care of yourself. If you said you'll be back, I trust you to come back."

When she saw how his eyes brightened with her words, she knew she had said the right thing, the one thing he needed from her and she silently thanked Angela for pointing it out.

"Thank you, Temperance," he said in a quiet voice. "That means a lot."

She just nodded her head and swallowed hard at the look in his eyes. She'd never seen his eyes sparkled quite so much before; he really had beautiful eyes that showed what a wonderful person he was. And those beautiful eyes seemed to be getting closer to her face, closer than they'd ever been. Just when her own eyes were falling closed, in anticipation of the kiss she was sure would follow, a loud knock on the door was heard throughout the room, making Booth stop a few inches from her face.

"Hey, Booth," they heard Daniel call through the closed door. "Mitchell says to hurry up; we're all here and he wants to begin the meeting."

"Yes, ok," Booth called out, as he slowly pulled back. "I'll be right there."

"K," Daniel called back and they heard his footsteps recede as he went back to Mitchell's office.

"Bones," Booth began, as he raked his fingers through his hair. This was the second time in less than three hours that they had almost kissed and the only thing that had stopped them both times was outside interferences. Their relationship was definitely changing and faster than either had anticipated. "I . . ." he trailed off, because he didn't know what to say; just that they should probably talk about this new tendency to almost kiss they seem to be developing.

"It's ok, Booth," she told him with a shake of her head. "You have a meeting to go to and a mission to prepare for; this is not the time. We'll talk later."

Booth narrowed his eyes and studied her closely, wondering if she was putting off talking because of his meeting or because she was avoiding the subject. What he saw in her eyes was that it was a bit of both and though he'd liked to talk, she was right he had a meeting to go to. But he had to know something first.

"Just tell me something," he told her. "We're ok, right?"

"Yes," she told him, without hesitation. "We're fine." She might not be ready to talk, but if she knew anything it was that they would be ok. "Go to your meeting."

"Ok," he agreed with a smile. "See you for dinner?"

"Yes," she answered as they walked out of the room. "See you for dinner."


	16. Chapter 16

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **I wish, I really do, that they belonged to me, but alas, they don't.

**A/N:** Well, I don't have much to say right now, except thank you to everyone that has reviewed; you must really be liking it cause the reviews have gone back up!! Thank you that really makes me write faster. I have to thank Puppet for her beta work and encouragement and Sany for all her late night help; seriously without you guys, well the story would probably still be written but it wouldn't be anywhere as good or anywhere as fast, so Thank you!!! Now, please read, enjoy and review!!!

**Chapter 16**

A few hours later, Brennan and the squints were all in the commissary getting ready to have dinner.

"So," Angela asked, as she put her tray on the table and sat down. "Is Booth coming down for dinner?"

"Yes," Brennan answered, as she took her seat next to Angela. "He should be here in a minute." She turned her head to look at the door and saw him enter. "In fact, there he is now," she pointed out before returning her attention to her dinner.

"Good," Angela said, with a nod, after she too turned around and saw Booth grab a tray and start to choose his dinner. "So, you never told me," she told Brennan after a moment. "How did your talk with him go?"

"It went ok," Brennan answered, as she put down her fork and picked up her glass of juice.

"Just ok?" Angela pressed, wanting more details.

"Yes, just ok," Brennan insisted. "I apologized for my behavior and he said he understood. That was it," She elaborated, purposefully leaving out the part about the almost kiss. She wasn't ready to talk about it with Angela yet; she needed to talk with Booth first.

"Ok," Angela said slowly, as she studied the way Brennan was avoiding her eyes. "I'm glad you guys worked things out." Angela knew there was more to it than that, but she also knew that, despite how much Brennan had opened up in the last few years, there were still limits to how much she was willing to share at any one time.

"Thanks," Brennan said, as Booth came up to their table and sat across from Brennan.

"Hey, Bones," Booth said in greeting her with a smile and a look in his eyes that Angela had never seen before and wasn't sure what they meant. "Angela, guys. How are you?" He asked with a nod at the rest of the team.

A chorus of "fine!", "yeah, ok", "never better" was the answers he received. He grinned at the enthusiastic responses. It seemed that a few days, immersed in studying alien biology, flora and fauna, was great for a squint's disposition.

"I'm glad you're having such a good time," he said, as he winked at Brennan and began eating. Brennan smiled back, but Angela was surprised to see her actually blushing at the wink.

Something was happening between the partners, Angela was sure of it now. Not only was Brennan blushing at an innocent wink, but Booth had a new look in his eyes. A look Angela had never seen before. A look that she swore was more predatory than anything else. Angela had always known that Booth wanted Brennan, but he had always been very careful in how he looked at her. Though she had been on the look out, Angela had never been able to capture such a look before. Something had to be going on between them for him to risk looking at Brennan with such heat in front of the rest of the team.

But despite the little flirtation, Brennan's face soon changed to the worried frown she'd been wearing all afternoon.

"How was the meeting?" Brennan asked Booth after a few moments. Booth paused for a fraction of a second, with his fork halfway to his mouth, before he resumed like nothing had happened. If Angela hadn't been looking at him so closely, she would have missed the hesitation.

"It went ok," Booth said with a verbal shrug. "You know, like any normal meeting."

"But it wasn't a normal meeting was it?" Brennan asked him, as she put her own fork down and leaned forward a little. "Can you just . . .?"

"Bones," he said in a calm but firm voice. "I can't talk about it, you know that. Can we just leave it there, please?" He asked and though he didn't say anything else, his eyes communicated everything and Brennan gave a tired sigh.

"Ok," she said, as she started eating again. "We'll leave it there."

Angela just shook her head at the ease in which those two could have entire conversations with just a few glances. But the silence that followed their interaction was full of Brennan's fears and Booth's worry. Booth was leaving early the following morning, and Angela did not want the dinner to be a morose affair so she searched her mind for a subject that would cheer everyone up.

As one possible subject came to mind, she looked around wondering if this was the time to bring it up. She had promised Vala that she wouldn't do anything without her around. As if her thoughts had called her, Vala walked up to their table a few minutes later.

"Hello all," she said, as she took a seat next to Booth and directly across from Angela. "How are you doing?" Another chorus of 'fine', 'ok', and 'good' followed. She just grinned and started to eat her dinner.

"Where's the rest of your team?" Angela asked as she started on her dessert.

"Oh, they'll be along any minute," Vala answered with a shrug. "They're finishing some paperwork for tomorrow's mission." And just like that the mood at the table plunged even lower. And Angela knew she had to do something.

"So Booth," she said carelessly. "I have a little problem I was hoping you could help me with."

"Sure," Booth said with a shrug, as he too started on his dessert. "If I can, though, I am not fixing any more tickets."

"No, no tickets," Angela denied with a shake of her head. "I haven't gotten one in a while, I'll have you know." She said with a sniff that made Booth grin. "I just thought that your expertise would be valuable with this little problem."

"My expertise?" Booth asked, raising both eyebrows. "Angela, have you committed a crime you need me to investigate?"

"No, of course not," Angela said with another quick shake of her head.

"Well, then," Booth asked, curiously. "How can my expertise help you?"

"I was talking about your other expertise, actually," was Angela's enigmatic answer that had everyone looking at her curiously.

"My 'other' expertise?" Booth questioned, sounding puzzled.

"Yeah, you know," Angela answered nonchalantly, as she put down her glass. "I thought we could finally put your law degree to good use." And that sentence brought stunned silence to the table. Booth looked wide-eyed at Angela before shifting his gaze to Brennan, who looked surprised before schooling her face into her usual serene expression.

But while the partners' surprise was expressed on their faces, the rest of the team was more vocal in their reactionssurprise; especially, Hodgins, who's 'What?' made those around the other tables turn their heads.

"A law degree? _Booth_?" Hodgins asked, as he turned from looking at his wife to looking at Booth, and at Brennan, then back at his wife. "You're kidding, right?" He finally asked her with a smile that said he was sure that was it.

"Nope, not kidding," Angela said calmly, as if she hadn't just dropped the equivalent of a nuclear bomb into the conversation. "Booth has a law degree – from a very good law school too." After she'd learned about the degree, Angela had made it her business to find everything she could about it. "Don't you, Booth?" She asked the blind-sided agent.

"Well," Booth began as he finished his dessert; he looked at Brennan and decided to follow her lead and act as if there was nothing out of the ordinary. "Yes, I do, as a matter of fact," he confirmed with a nod of his head. "I do have a law degree from a top tier law school." He added with a small smile.

"But, but," was all that Hodgins could say while Zack just looked at Booth like he'd never seen the agent before. Angela and Vala shared amused glances and Brennan continued eating as if nothing was happening. Camille was the only one to react.

"How come I didn't about this?" Camille asked as she leaned forward and looked at Booth with an incredulous look on her face.

"I don't know," Booth said with a shrug. "I guess you just never asked."

"I never asked?" She repeated, stunned. "What? I should have asked you 'hey, Booth, you have a law degree?' Because that's just how you should go about finding these things." Though her tone of voice was sarcastic, Brennan took the question and comment literally.

"Well, isn't that how you _should_ do it?" She asked, looking from Camille to Booth, who was the relationship expert in her opinion. "Aren't those the sort of questions you ask someone when you're getting to know them?"

"Yes, Bones," he agreed with a beaming smile and a hint of that something extra in his eyes that Angela can't quite identify. "Those are just the type of questions you should ask."

Camille looksed from one to the other before leaning back on in her chair, muttering something about how some things shouldn't have to be asked about because they should be volunteered.

Though Hodgins was still surprised, he had by this time recovered enough to be able to formed full sentences again; even if they weren't quite coherent.

"A law degree?" He asked again, sounding and looking amazed. "You're an attorney?"

"Yes, I'm an attorney," Booth answered patiently. As he looked at the stunned faces of the squints, Booth realized he had a choice; he could either be annoyed at how astonished they all looked or he could be proud to be one of the few that could catch them so off-guard. After all it wasn't everyday or everyone that could reduce the confident and incredibly smart team of squints into this flabbergasted and stuttering group. After a second's thought, he decided to go with the second choice and enjoy the squints' reactions. "And I went to a top tier law school, too." He reiterated with a smirk. It felt good to rub it in a little after all the undermining of his intelligence the squints have had done.

"How come we didn't know it?" Hodgins asked, apparently he'd been so astounded that she'd missed Camille's questions.

"You never asked," was Booth's answer again, with another shrug. "You know," he added in a conversational tone, looking at Brennan. "It's not my fault if your squints are a bit slow sometimes."

"Slow?" Hodgins repeated, insulted. "We are not slow. Just because you didn't . . ." He started to protest but Booth interrupted.

"Yes, slow," he insisted. "I mean, come on, you really thought that just anyone can walk up to the Hoover Building, apply and become an FBI agent just like that?" He asked, snapping his fingers.

"Well," Hodgins said. "I . . ."

"It is not that easy," Booth said firmly, as he leaned back on in his chair and linked his fingers over his stomach. "Not only do you have to prove that you're physically and mentally fit but you also have to have an advanced degree. Law just happens to be the most popular," he added with a careless shrug and he reached forward for his coffee cup. "And it really is not my fault that you guys were so sure you were all so much smarter than me, that you never stopped to think things through."

"But a J.D. is the same as a PhD," Zack argued, the first words he'd say said since Angela dropped her bomb.

"I know, Zack," Booth said with a raised eyebrow. "J.D. means Juris Doctor; and as we just stated, I have one."

"But, but," he stuttered for a few seconds before saying, "But you hate higher education. How can you have a JD?"

"I don't hate higher education," Booth denied. "Whatever gave you that idea?"

"Well, you're always so mocking of our Ph.Ds and you have such a huge problem with those that attend the best educational institutions."

"What?" Booth asked, somewhat surprised. "What do you mean?"

"Remember the Nestor Olivos case?" Zack asked. "You were going on about how you hate the people that went to private schools."

"No, I wasn't," Booth argued. "I said that I hated that some of the people that went to those places got a sense of entitlement; you know how they believe that they're better than everyone else, when they're not. I have nothing against the institutions themselves or anyone having a good education."

"Ok," Zack said slowly, still confused. "But you . . . you"

"I . . . what?" Booth asked when Zack didn't finish his sentence.

"You always seem to have such a hard time with the scientific concepts and the terminology," Zack said with a sidelong glance at Hodgins.

"Well, Zack," Booth began as he shifted in his chair. "Just how long did it take _you_ to learn all of those concepts and terms? Besides, I have a JD, which is very different from a science Ph.D. you know? I've never liked math or science; that's one of the reasons I went to law school so I wouldn't have to do either. But as fate would have it, I ended up with a squint for a partner."

"Hey," Brennan protested, throwing him a fake glare.

"Sorry, Bones," Booth apologized with a charm smile. "But it's true; I'd much rather talk of history, literature or even philosophy than science."

"I noticed," Brennan agreed with a smile. "And you know, I've been thinking," she added as she shifted forward in her chair.

"Oh, come on, Bones," Booth protested as he threw his head back. "When aren't you thinking?"

"It makes sense," Brennan began. Ignoring Booth, she continued explaining her thoughts. "Booth having a JD, I mean. I think it's helped him in his career as an FBI agent," Brennan had been thinking about this in the last hours to distract herself from thinking about the mission the following day. "Think about it: a lawyer has to use words to get his clients what they want and it helps if he can read persons and discerns motives and such. As an FBI agent, you also use words and your ability to read people, to achieve your goal, which is usually a confession."

"Bones," Booth said after a few moments of silence, "I've never thought of it that way."

"I know," Brennan said with a cocky smile, while Angela studied her more closely.

"I guess it does make sense if you look at it that way," Angela agreed and Brennan nodded. "But what I want to know if is how come you don't look at all surprised by the news that Booth is an attorney."

"Well, Angela," Brennan said casually, silently thanking Booth for having come clean earlier that day and not letting her get be blindsided by the news in front of everyone. "That might be because I am not surprised by it. I already knew."

"You already knew?" Angela asked and Booth and Brennan were both gratified to see that this time it was Angela the that was one that sounded surprised.

"Yes, I did," Brennan confirmed as she picked up her coffee cup.

"Well," Angela said, a bit impatiently. "How long have you known?"

"Oh, you know a while," was the not quite true but not quite a lie answer. "And I don't see why you're so surprised that I knew?" She asked Angela, figuring that if she changed the subject slightly Angela wouldn't press for specifics. "You know Booth is my partner and one of my best friends. There really aren't many things we don't know about each other; there aren't any secrets between us." Brennan turned to look at Booth when she was finished and Angela once again saw that something new flash through both their eyes.

"Ummm," Angela said as she looked from Brennan to Booth. "No secrets, huh?" She asked, looking directly at Booth.

"Nope, no secrets," Booth answered with his most innocent expression. She then turned to Brennan and winked at her again. Brennan smiled at him and Angela was stunned to see the same flash of heat she had seen in Booth's eyes flashed through Brennan's eyes.

Angela turned to Vala to see whether that flash had actually happened or whether it had been her imagination. The surprised and then look of recognition she saw in her new friend's eyes assured Angela that she hadn't imagined the look.

"So," Booth said while he played with his silverware. "I was thinking."

"Ah, Booth," Brennan said with a small smile. "You shouldn't do that; you might hurt yourself." After a few moments of silence, the squints burst out laughing.

"Funny, Bones. Very funny," Booth said as he waved his fork in Brennan's direction.

"I thought so," Brennan said with smirk.

"And just for that," Booth said as he leaned over and scooped up the last bite of Brennan's dessert.

"Hey!" Brennan protested but Booth just grinned.

"You weren't eating it," Booth said after he swallowed. "Ok, so you want to know what I was thinking or not?"

"Sure, man, tell us," Hodgins said as he smiled at the partners' usual banter.

"I know you guys were really looking forward to going off-world," Booth began and every one of them nodded and suddenly looked more than interested.

"Yeah, I sure was looking forward to going," Hodgins said, looking excited at the idea. "Can you imagine what we would see? I mean the very idea that we would be going to another planet is . . ." He trailed off, obviously not able to think of an adjective that would captured the magnitude of the idea. "Well, it's mind-blowing, that's what it is."

Brennan, Cam and Zack nodded their heads in agreement but Angela didn't look as enthusiastic as the rest of the group.

"But General O'Neill was pretty firm when he said we weren't allowed to go," Zack reminded everyone and Hodgins nodded his head dejectedly.

"I know," Booth agreed. "And I agree that tomorrow's mission is not the right place for you guys. But," he added before they could begin their protests. "Maybe you guys could go after the mission is over with."

That proposal brought silence to the table once more, at least for a few seconds and then they all started talking at once.

"Ok, hold on," Booth said, holding his hands up to silence them. "Nothing is set in stone; I still have to talk to General O'Neill about it, but Mitchell and the rest of SG1 didn't have a problem with the idea so there's a chance we could get permission. A chance only," he reiterated, when the squints seemed to take it for granted.

"Where would we go?" Hodgins asked eagerly. "'Cause if you haven't thought about it, I have a couple of ideas based on that database I've been studying."

"Oh, I'm sure you have ideas, Hodgins," Booth said with a raised eyebrow. "But no, we know where we'd go if we get permission." When they all looked at him curiously, he asked, "Have you guys heard of the alpha site?"

"The alpha site?" Brennan repeated, shaking her head as everyone else either shook his/her head or said no.

"Well," Booth said as he shifted in his chair, trying to get comfortable. "The alpha and the beta site are the names of the two off-world permanent bases the SGC keeps in case."

"In case of what?" Brennan asked when it seemed that was all Booth was going to say.

"Just in case," Booth replied with a shrug.

"In case we're attacked by aliens and we need to evacuate Earth, right?" Hodgins asked as he leaned forward and leaned his elbows on the table. "Oh, this is good. I knew the government had secret bases where the 'elite' could run to if things got ugly, but I never thought that they would be in on another planet. It makes sense, though; I mean who would ever find them! Man, this . . ."

"Hodgins!" Booth called, halting the other's mans descent into his conspiracy heaven while Vala just looked at the entomologist in with fascinated awe. "They're not secret bases," but at the looks he received from everyone at the table, he amended, "Ok, they are secret bases but that's only because the program itself if is secret." At the raised eyebrows that statement brought, he sighed and said, "You know what, that doesn't matter. The fact of the matter is that they are there and because we have a permanent presence on those planets, they are safe and it would be the ideal place for you guys to go, if you were to go off-world."

Hodgins and Zack looked at each other and started to plan about what they could see and Brennan and Cam looked intrigued about the possibility. Angela, however, was thinking about something else.

"I know Hodgins can be a little out there," she began, speaking to Booth, who snorted at the 'little out there' phrase. "But is he right?" She asked, ignoring Booth's snort. "Are these off-world bases there in case aliens attack Earth?" A week ago, she would have considered that such a question would only have merit in Hodgins' head but after having seen everything she'd seen . . .

"Sure," Vala answered easily as she put her fork down. "They're there in case of a foothold situation," at the blank stareds, she explained the term, not noticing or ignoring Booth's attempts to quiet her. "A foothold situation is when hostile aliens take over the base. In that case, control of the program shifts to the off-world bases. And of course, if aliens attachk Earth we can send personnel to the other sites, ensuring humanity lives on." The explanation was made in such an off-hand way that it quieted the squints in for a second and made them look at her as if she'd grown a second head. "What?" she asked when she noticed the stares.

"Thanks Vala," Booth sayssaid, sounding anything but grateful. "I'm sure that's just what they needed to hear. Never mind that most of that info is confidential." He himself didn't know too much about it, and frankly, he didn't want to know any more than he already did.

"Oops," Vala said with a frown. "I keep forgetting that all of this alien stuff is new to most of you."

"Foothold situation," Camille repeated, slowly. "Has that happened?"

"A couple of times," Vala answered with a shrug as Booth closed his eyes and shook his head; the woman did not know the meaning of the word 'confidential' or the concept 'need to know'.

"And aliens attacking Earth?" Angela asked, not sure if she wanted to hear the answer. "Has that happened?"

"Oh, sure," Vala answered as she picked up her glass. "Lots of times."

"Lots?"" Angela repeated in a faint whisper while Hodgins asked, "How many times is lots of times?"

"I don't know," Vala answered. "I've only been with the program about three years, you know. But, let's see, there was the time Apophis came with two mother ships, and the time Anubis came with a whole fleet, and the time the Ori sent that plague and of course the replicators and the time the Ori ships almost made it here and . . ."

"That's enough, Vala," Booth said firmly, in a tone that reminded Vala her of Jack, and instantly made her close her mouth. "I don't think you are cleared for sharing that information, are you?"

"That's, that's a lot of times," Angela commented while everyone shared dismayed looks.

"Yeah," Vala said, seconds after having agreed to not talk anymore. "But SG1 took care of it. We always do, you know. You have nothing to worry about." She was trying to reassure them but they still looked somewhat sick. "Come on; think about how nice it'll be once go you all get to go off-world. And all the things you'll see."

Though, the thought didn't seem quite as exciting now, it still cheered them up because it spoke to their sense of curiosity.

"I wonder what it feels like," Camille said. "You know going through the 'Gate."

"Oh, it feels just like stepping through a doorway," Vala answered with a small smile and just as the squints relaxed somewhat, she continued. "Except for, you know the freezing and the throwing up when you get there. But that's only the first few times, you get used to it really fast. I barely notice anything now."

"I'm not so sure I want to go through that thing," Angela commented after a few seconds of silence, when everyone had thought the same thing. "I mean, do we really need to go and visit another world?" She asked, looking at everyone in turn. "I quite like this one."

"Well," Booth said as he put his cup of coffee down. "You don't have to go if you don't want to. It's just something I thought you'd like and you deserve it after all the help you've been with the case."

"Oh, speaking of the case," Angela said, sounding thankful to get back to a normal subject – even if that subject was death. "I finished the sketch of that Jaffe."

"Jaffa," Vala, Brennan and Hodgins corrected her.

"Jaffa," Angela repeated as she showed them the sketch. "I wasn't completely sure of the tattoo on the forehead but since Teal'c has one and this guy was supposed to be of the same species, I thought it might be important. I think this is the most likely design." She finished, putting pointing to the design on the sketch.

"Do you know that symbol?" Booth asked Vala when he heard her intake of breath.

"Yes, that's Cronos's symbol," Vala answered, studying the sketch.

"Not Ba'al's?" Booth asked.

"No," Vala answered as she looked up at him. "But that's not surprising; Cronos lost his territory and his armies a few years back and died shortly thereafter. And we know that Ba'al has been recruiting every Jaffa he can."

Booth nodded and took the sketch, "Great work, Angela, as always." He pushed his chair from the table and stood up. He looked at Brennan and said, "Well, I better take this to General O'Neill and Mitchell; maybe we can use it to decide in what order we're visiting the planets. I'll see you guys later," and with a last look at Brennan he left.

"Wait," Vala said as she too stood up. "I better go with you; and take them something to eat," she added as she walked to the counters after a quick 'bye' to the rest of the group.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Angela told Brennan as the anthropologist stared after her departing partner. "He'll be fine."

"I know, Ang," Brennan told her with a small smile but without taking her eyes from the door Booth had walked out of, "I know that."


	17. Chapter 17

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **I wish, I really do, that they belonged to me, but alas, they don't.

**A/N:** Well, I don't have much to say right now, except thank you to everyone that has reviewed!! Thank you your reviews really makes inspire me. I have to thank Puppet for her beta work and encouragement and Sany for all her late night help; seriously without you guys, well the story would probably still be written but it wouldn't be anywhere as good or anywhere as fast, so Thank you!!! Now, please read, enjoy and review!!!

**Chapter 17 **

The following morning found Brennan and the rest of the squints standing in the gate room waiting for Booth and SG1, who were in the locker room getting ready for the mission. Brennan would much rather be anywhere but in that room waiting to see Booth go off-world without her, but he was going so there she was. There was no where else she could be.

"Sweetie," Angela said as she put an arm around Brennan's shoulders. "He'll be fine, you'll see."

"I know," Brennan said, repeating the words from the night before; and before Angela could try and comfort Brennan any more, Booth and SG1 walked into the room.

Since they were going to, as Jack had put it, 'another planet full of trees', they were all wearing their green camouflage uniforms. If Booth had looked gorgeous in his dress uniform and his BDUs, in camouflage gear, wearing a P-90 strapped to his Alice vest, a knife to his waist, a handgun to his thigh and a zat gun to his hip, he looked every inch the warrior Teal'c had called him – not to mention incredibly hot! A fact, Angela was quick to point out.

"Wow, he does look hot in that uniform, doesn't he?" Angela whispered, so only Brennan would hear her.

"Angela!" Brennan protested. "This is not the place."

"Maybe not, sweetie," Angela agreed. "But you can't deny he looks good."

"Maybe not," Brennan repeated Angela's words, "But I would much rather be seeing him coming back than going off." Angela nodded and fell quiet, knowing that no amount of jokes would make Brennan feel better.

"Hey," Booth said as he walked up to Brennan. "How are you?" He asked, looking at her with a soft look in his eyes.

"Fine, and you?" She asked, returning the look. Booth shrugged and turned as Jack clapped his hands to gain everyone's attention.

"You kids ready?" He asked, looking around at SG1 and Booth. He had walked in with Sam behind the others and was now standing on the ramp looking at the team.

"Yes, sir," Mitchell said with a nod. Jack nodded and looked up at the control room where Landry and Walter were waiting. At Landry's nod, Jack looked back at the team and smiled.

"Ok, kids. You have a go," he then stepped down and walked to stand next to Sam and turned to see the Gate activate.

Brennan noticed the general reached out and grasped Sam's hand tightly and realized that as calm and collected as he had sounded earlier, he was as nervous as she herself was.

"Chevron 7, locked," was soon heard throughout the room and the wormhole was immediately formed. Though, they'd seen it once before, Booth, Brennan and the squints were still amazed at the sight, but they didn't have much time to admire the artificial wormhole.

"Ok, people," Mitchell called out after nodding at Jack and Landry. "Let's move out." He then stepped onto the ramp and walked confidently towards the water-like wall. Teal'c went with him and Daniel and Vala followed them. Sam shared one last look with Jack and turned to wait for Booth, who was saying his goodbyes.

"Well, squints," he said with a grin, looking at the team. "I hope you don't blow anything up in my absence."

"We'll try not to," Hodgins promised with a small grin as he slapped Booth on the shoulder in farewell. Zack made to take a step forward and slap Booth's shoulder too, but ended up staying where he was and just nodding and saying, "Good luck."

Cam stepped forward and leaned in for a hug. "Be careful, Seeley," she told him and kissed him on the cheek. As she stepped back, Angela stepped forward.

She too leaned in for a hug and wished him good luck. But her last words were a bit different, "You better come back in one piece, Booth. I don't know what'll happen to Bren if you don't." She stepped back and looked into his eyes for a few seconds to make sure he got the message. He did and nodded his understanding. Brennan then stepped forward and after a few seconds hesitation, she too reached up and hugged him – very tightly.

"Be careful and come back safe," she whispered in his ear before giving him a last squeeze and letting him go.

"I will," Booth said and gave her one of his charmed smiles. With one last look, he turned around and followed Sam towards the wormhole. A few seconds later and he was gone.

Brennan stood there, watching the Gate, even as everyone else started to go back to their duty stations.

"Bren, you ok?" Angela asked as she noticed how still Brennan was.

"Yes, Angela," Brennan answered with a rueful smile. "I guess the waiting and trusting begins now, huh?"

"Yeah," Angela said as she too turned and stared at the Gate. "And don't forget the praying, Brennan. I'm starting the praying right now."

Brennan nodded and some small part of herself, that part that had been buried when she was fifteen and her parents left, that part that had stopped believing in anything but science when her prayers to have her parents back weren't answered, that part seemed to shake off the rubble that had buried it and for one moment freed itself to whisper a prayer for Booth's safe return. As she blinked back a stray tear, Brennan hoped that this time her prayer would be answered.

----------------------------------------

Four days later, SG1 and Booth had checked four planets and had found nothing but trees, mosquitoes and some weird animals that looked like a mixture between horses and chickens – Booth had taken a picture and Hodgins was dying to go back and see it in person.

But even though the searches had been fairly harmless so far and even though Booth had come back every night without so much as a scratch, Brennan was still apprehensive every hour he spent off-world. She had decided, the second day she watched Booth walk through the Gate, that Angela had been right. She would never get used to seeing him leave and had come to really admire the calm that Jack and Sam projected every day.

"This seat taken?" Jack asked, startling Brennan. She shook her head and brought herself back to the present.

"No, it's not," she told him with a small shake of her head and watched as he pulled the chair out and sat across from her.

"So, how you doing?" he asked as he examined his coffee cup and picked some non-existent lint from it.

"I'm fine," Brennan said automatically, as she too picked up her coffee cup. Jack put his right foot on his left knee and rested his cup there as he studied her.

"Umm, so you're fine," he repeated with a small tilt of his head. "So, that's why you're here in the commissary drinking coffee in the middle of the afternoon when, from what I hear, it usually takes an act of Congress to make you leave your lab before 7 pm?"

"Huh, why would an act of Congress . . .?" she stared to ask but Jack cut her off by raising his hand.

"It's a figure of speech, doc," Jack explained with half a smile. "You don't do that good out of the lab, do you?"

Brennan narrowed her eyes and studied the general but only found sincere curiosity and kind regard in his gaze and not the usual impatient incredulity she often encountered.

"It's ok," Jack said with the same half smile. "I didn't mean to insult you; I have a lot of experience with the absentminded scientists myself. My wife and best friend are two of the most brilliant persons on Earth but are sadly lacking in social skills."

Brennan relaxed and smiled when she saw that he meant it and wasn't judging her. "I do have some trouble with the pop references," she admitted. "Usually, they're explained to me by either Angela or Booth." At the mention of Booth, she grew quiet and her gaze shifted to the side.

After a few minutes of silence, Jack ventured to say, "He'll be fine. For what I've seen and heard, he is a natural."

"I know," she agreed, nodding her head. "It's just . . ." she trailed off and he finished for her.

"You worry?" He asked and she nodded. He knew there were a lot of platitudes that he could give her but none would make her feel better, instead he just gave her his silent company.

A few minutes later, Brennan stirred and said, "Can I ask you something?"

Jack smiled as he put his cup down, "You can even ask me two things." Brennan looked confused for a moment before she gave a mental shrug and continued with her thoughts. Jack noticed the mental shrug and had to swallow a laugh; she really did remind him of Sam and Daniel.

"I was wondering what we're still doing here?" she asked him, looking him straight in the eyes.

"What do you mean?" Jack asked as he tilted his head. "You're doing your . . . science stuff." He said, waving his hand to encompass all the scientific things she and her team were doing.

"Yes," Brennan answered with a nod and a serious face. "But the task that we were brought here to perform has been done. We've identified what you needed from the two bodies."

"Are you saying there's nothing else to learn from them?" Jack asked, as he shifted in his chair and played with his cup's handle.

"There's always something more to learn," Brennan argued. "But what we can still learn from those two bodies at this point will most likely be irrelevant to the investigation. And that was why we were brought here, wasn't it? To help with the investigation?"

"Yes," Jack agreed. "That is why you were brought here." He paused as he leaned forward and deposited his cup on the table; he then leaned back and started to tap his fingers on his knee. "So, if I were to order you guys to go back to DC, you would go quietly?" He asked her as he studied her intently.

"Well," Brennan said, as her eyes shifted down to study the table for a moment. "I . . . No, I would probably raise all kinds of hell if you were to tell me I had to go back to DC. I would not go quietly." She finally admitted and she raised her eyes to show him she was being entirely serious.

Jack nodded, as if he hadn't expected anything else from here. "That's what I thought."

"You mean that you're not sending us back because you knew I'd make a scene?" she asked, disbelieving. "Forgive me, but you don't seem the type of man that would do anything just to avoid a scene," she bluntly said.

"I'm not, no," he said with a laugh, shaking his head. "It that were the only reason, you would be long gone by now."

"Then what is the reason we're still here?" She insisted. He studied her another moment before he started to speak.

"When Daniel was trying to convince me to bring your whole team in on this case," he started to explain. "One of the reasons he gave me was that you guys were, in his words, 'the civilian version of SG1'. Now, I didn't believe him at the time. SG1 is unique and was the result of a series of very special and exceptional circumstances not to mention the amount of time it's been together. I didn't see how a civilian team of scientists and an FBI agent could possibly have any where near the same relationship that SG1 has." Jack paused and seemed to lose himself in his thoughts for a moment. "But you proved me wrong. I've seen you these past few days and you are a team; a very tight team. You work somewhat differently than SG1 does but then you _are_ civilians." The last was said with a hint of pity, as if they really couldn't help themselves and weren't to blame for the fault.

"However differently you may work, in the end you're united by the same bond that unites SG1. And being a former member of that group, I know from personal experience that none of us would ever leave a situation or a place if some of the team were to stay behind. And there would be no power on Earth or anywhere that could make us go or could keep us from coming back if by some reason we had to leave. So, how could I ask you to go when I would have, and actually have, moved heaven and earth to stay if I was in your position?" He asked as he picked up his cup again and took another sip.

"That's . . . I . . ." Brennan wasn't sure what to say and finally settled for a simple, "Thank you. I don't really think I could stand it not knowing what was going on."

"Yes," Jack said, nodding. "I know exactly what you mean. Besides, having you guys around is not just for you, you know?"

"It's not?" She asked, curious.

"No," he affirmed. "I mean, it's not like you're idle, are you? Dr. Soroyan is busy going over the medical reports with Doc Frazier and teaching her the finer points of conducting an autopsy. Dr. Addy is busy helping Siler with some of the upgrades; Dr. Hodgins is helping Dr. Lee with some of his research. Mrs. Montenegro-Hodgins is working with Felger in incorporating some of her programs into our holo-computers. And you're . . ."

"Still working with the remains to find out everything we can about them," she finished for him.

"Exactly," Jack said with a satisfied nod. "See, you're all being productive. Plus, you're also providing something of a distraction from this waiting. So, you see, you're not only here as a favor."

"No, I see that," Brennan agreed with a faint smile, privately thinking that most of what they were doing seemed like busy work to her, but she wasn't going to argue the point.

Another five minutes went by with both of them lost in their own thoughts before Brennan decided to ask what had been on her mind for days now. "How do you do it?"

"Huh?" Jack asked with a puzzled frown. "How do I do what?"

"How do you stay here calmly going about your business, looking so relaxed and worry free, when your wife is out there, doing who knows what?" She asked, as she leaned forward in her chair. "I know that it can't be that easy, so how do you do it?"

Jack sighed as he brought his foot down and leaned forward to once again set his cup on the table. He looked Brennan in the eye for a long moment before he sighed again and leaned his elbows on the table, he started to talk.

"How do I do it?" He repeated in a thoughtful tone. "The same way everyone else that has family in the armed forces does; you just do it because there's nothing else to do but support the person you love. I knew who Sam was from the beginning, just like she knew who I was; we both knew this was our reality and what we would have to live with. There's nothing else I can do," he repeated.

"Well," Brennan began in a thoughtful tone, "You could have not gotten together. You could have chosen to remain colleagues and friends."

"Yeah, I guess we could have done that," he agreed slowly, as he saw her play with her coffee cup.

Jack was a private person who, though he felt things deeply, did not like to talk about his feelings. It had in fact taken years, and Sam forcing his hand, before he admitted out loud that he was head over heels in love with her and had been for years. The only two other people in the world he ever shared his feelings with were Daniel and Teal'c and only after Daniel nags at him for hours and Teal'c gives him that 'look'. He voluntarily sharing his feelings or talking about his private life was unheard of and he silently debated whether he wanted to keep going. But, though it went against his instincts, there was something about the good doc and the major that reminded him of Sam and himself and maybe if he shared a bit of his history, they would not make the same mistakes.

"We could have chosen to remain nothing more than friendly co-workers; and because of the regs, that is precisely what we had done the previous eight years. And I can tell you," he added with half a nod, "from that personal experience that it made very little difference. If you love someone, not acknowledging it, not admitting it to yourself, denying it or suppressing it does not erase it, and it doesn't make it go away. You still feel it and you still would do anything and everything to keep them safe, you still worry if they go out into danger without you by their side and your life still seems to stop if they're hurt. And if the worst happens and they died, you still feel as if your world had ended with them.

"Loving someone that has a dangerous job is not easy; I don't think anyone would choose it, but then we don't get to choose who we love. And yes, we can choose what to do about that love, but not acting on it doesn't protect us. The only thing that denying those feelings does is rob us of the time we could have spent with the person we love. If Sam were to fall in a mission," he stopped and seemed to go away for a bit.

"If she were to not come back, I don't know what I'd do, but I do know that I would feel the same even if we'd never gotten together. The only difference would be that I wouldn't have the memory of all those times we spent together, to take and keep close to my heart. And yes, memories are a cold comfort in the dead of night but they're a hell of a lot warmer than regrets." He paused again and lifted his cup to his mouth only to find out he'd already finished the coffee, with a grimace he set it down again and reluctantly decided to keep going. He'd gone this far, he might as well finish. Though, Sam was going to be mad the next time she wanted to have an emotional conversation because this little session was using his emotional conversation quota for the next two years!

"Look, I just met you a few days ago; I don't really know you or where you coming from nor do I really know Booth. This is really none of my business, and you're a hell of a lot smarter than I am, so me giving you advice might seem a little off." He shrugged and continued, "But I do know some things and you might as well benefit from them. Fear is a normal reaction that is actually needed for our survival but it can also be a paralyzing agent that can make us miss some of the best things life has to offer. There's a time and place to listen to fear and a time when you have to tame it.

"I've done and seen many things in my life and a lot of them I wish I could forget or could undo. I know that many people think the eight years Sam and I spent as CO and 2IC are one of the things I regret, but they're not. Oh, I wake up every morning and thank God that we got together; thank God that Sam found the courage to go to my house and forced us to confront what we had so studiously avoided until then and you have no idea how grateful I am that I was able to set my fears aside and take that step with her. And the past two years have been the best of my life; I've never been happier. But I don't regret the eight years that came before because neither one of us was ready for more then. We couldn't have made a go of a relationship because we each had our own demons to overcome. So, no I don't regret those eight years; I would regret not having had the courage or the wisdom to recognize when the time was right and act on it.

"But only you can decide when the time is right and only you can decide whether to act or not. The only thing worse than regretting doing something, is regretting not doing it and always wondering 'what if?' And like I said, regret is a cold, cold comfort in the middle of the night. The choice is yours and the future is for you to do as you deem best. Don't let anyone tell you how to live your life – not even your own demons." He paused and took a deep breath; he hadn't talked so much since the night he and Sam decided to give their relationship a try and he was exhausted all of a sudden and he had no clue whether anything he'd said had made any difference. He looked around the mostly deserted commissary and idly thought 'where the hell is Sam or Daniel when you need them? They're so much better at this emotions crap than I am.'

"Well," he said finally, as he uncrossed his legs and shifted to stand up. "It's been a . . . pleasure, doc. But I've got some general-type paperwork to fill out – if I don't get to them we might run out of toilet paper or ink and how would this base run if we ran out of those, huh?" He asked with a smirk.

Brennan just studied him, not really understanding the joke. Jack sighed, he'd been told about the doc's almost non-existing sense of humor – actually what Sam had said was that Doctor Brennan had a very specific sense of humor and probably wouldn't respond well to Jack's more childish jokes but Jack had translated that to mean that Brennan had no sense of humor.

"I'll see you later, doc," Jack said as he stood up and stretched his back a bit. "Try not to worry too much; it's not good for your health, not too mention that if you keep frowning, you're going to wrinkle much earlier than you need to."

"What?" Brennan asked the first words she'd uttered in the last ten minutes. "Why would frowning affect when I start to wrinkle? And I really don't think that I _need_ to wrinkle at all, it's just a biological function due to the . . ."

"Figure of speech, doc," Jack said as he put his hand out in the 'stop' sign. "Just another figure of speech; no need to go into lecture mode." He had to smother a laugh when he saw her opened her mouth and then close it again without saying anything. "I really have to go now," he said as he stepped to the side. "Thank you for the company and I'll see you later."

"Yes, I'll see you later," Brennan said distractedly, her mind too full of what he'd said before. As he nodded once more and made to turn, she remembered her manners – well, the ones Booth was always going on and on about. "It was nice to have the company," she said hastily and a bit awkwardly. "Thank you."

Jack grinned at her and in that moment she saw why Sam put up with all his quirks; he was not only a gorgeous man but also a very kind and loving one. He nodded again, and with a mock-salute, he went back to do whatever it was that two star generals did with their days – filling out forms for toilet paper and ink presumably, leaving her with a lot to think about and some decisions to make.

**A/N2: **I am sorry for the delay, I'd love to tell you the next chapter will come out in two days but I've been a bit busy and I think I maybe getting sick. For those of you who know me from the aby, you know I'll be busy tomorrow but I'll try to write tomorrow night and hopefully I'll post chatper 18 at the beginning of the week. For those that watch and know of SG1, I know that Jack may seem a bit OCC but hopefully I explained it - if I didn't, hopefully you'll allow me this bit of artistic license. I needed to do it this way for the story. Hope you enjoyed it and please leave me a review!!


	18. Chapter 18

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **As much as I wished on the first star I see every night, they're still not mine. admits with a pout

**A/N:** I am sorry for the delaygetting this chapter out but this one was harder than usual; I'm not very good at writing action or writing about a military team in action, I just don't have the vocabulary for it. I did take the easy way out by not going into detail but I did have to set the scene, sort of speak, and that's why it's taken so long. Thanks to everyone that takes the time to read and review despite their busy life. I'm still not fully satisfied with this chapter but this is as good as it's going to get, so please do let me know what you think. Enjoy!!

**Chapter 18**

"So," Colonel Cameron Mitchell said, as he sat down next to Booth. "What do you think?"

"About?" Booth asked, as he looked up from the MRE's they were having for lunch.

"About this," Mitchell said, as he waved his hand around indicating everything around them. "This is the fifth planet you've been too, you must have an opinion about all of this by now."

"Well," Booth began, as he shifted on the log he was sitting on, to get a better look at Mitchell. "It's . . . exciting."

"But," Mitchell prompted when Booth stopped there.

"I don't know," Booth said, with a shrug, as he turned his face to study the rest of SG1, who were sitting a few feet in front of them. "I just thought it would be different, you know. But all of the planets look alike – well, except for the number of moons, the color of the sky and some weird animals." He paused and with a grin added, "except for that, we could be in any forest on Earth."

"Yes," Mitchell agreed, with a smile. "You could be on Earth, until you ran into a cross between a chicken and a horse."

"Yeah, until then," Booth agreed, with a laugh, thinking how much the squints would have liked to have seen that animal.

"So," Mitchell said, after a few moments of silence. "Besides the similarities or not of the surroundings, what do you think of the job?"

"It reminds me quite a bit of my Ranger days," Booth said quietly. "I know we haven't encountered any action yet and that we all seem very relaxed, but, there's still this underlying level of alertness that I haven't felt since my days in the Army."

"Yes," Mitchell agreed, with a somber nod. "Losing that alertness could mean our deaths."

"Exactly," Booth agreed. "As intense and as dangerous as my FBI job can get, there's just no need to maintain this constant vigilance. Hell," Booth added, with a roll of his eyes, "I spend more than half my time either at my office or at the lab at the Jeffersonian – and though that can get dangerous if you mess with Bone's bones, it's not the same thing."

"I don't know," Mitchell teased, "from what I've heard and seen, the good doctor can be quite fierce."

"Oh, you have no idea how fierce she can be," Booth replied, with a grin.

"Do you like it?" Mitchell asked. "Being back here in the thick of the action?"

"Action?" Booth asked, sarcastically.

"Well, ok," Mitchell agreed, "there hasn't been much action as of yet, but you know what I mean. Do you like being back in uniform?"

"It is a privilege to serve," Booth said, simply and noncommittally.

"Yes, it is," Mitchell agreed, before pausing to re-think what he wanted to say. "Teal'c is right, you know? You are a natural out here; I haven't seen anyone else take to it as easily as you do."

"Yeah, well," Booth said, as he busied himself putting his trash away. "It's the training coming out."

"You're not the only Ranger that's been recruited," Mitchell argued, "and though they've all done well, you just seem to have an instinct the others lacked."

"You're exaggerating," Booth protested.

"No, I'm not," Mitchell disagreed and decided to just ask what he wanted to know. "And you know it. Now, the question is whether you've missed this and whether you'd be willing to come back to active duty."

"I . . ." Booth opened his mouth to answer but trailed off, seemingly at a loss as how to answer.

"You don't have to answer me right now," Mitchell said, giving Booth a pat on the shoulder as he stood up. "Think about it; we can talk later." He stepped toward the rest of the team and with a clap of his hands, declared lunch over.

An hour later, they had put away all the remnants of lunch and were once again on their way to the place Sam thought was most likely Ba'al would have his lab. They were supposed to be marching in a single file, but that had rapidly changed. Mitchell was the lead with Teal'c walking beside him. Booth had the rear and Sam, Daniel and Vala were walking in the middle.

From what Booth had gathered, Daniel and Sam had started talking about some science thing. He wasn't sure what it was about though, because both were as squinty as Brennan and her team. Vala, however, did not find science anywhere near as fascinating as the other two and had soon changed the subject to an upcoming shopping trip. Daniel found talk of shopping as interesting as Vala found science talk and had been lagging behind the two women ever since. Soon, he was walking beside Booth.

"You don't mind if I walk with you for a while, do you?" Daniel asked, as he fell into step with Booth.

"Not at all," Booth answered with a grin. "Don't really care about shopping talk, huh?"

"No, not really," Daniel answered, with a grimace. "You go and buy what you want. I don't see why they have to make it a big production."

"Women," Booth said, with a smirk, "who knows why they do anything?"

"That's true," Daniel agreed, with a smile. "So," Daniel said, after they'd walked a few feet in silence, "how do you like Gate travel so far?"

"Well," Booth answered, even as he wondered if every member of SG1 would ask him the same thing before the trip was over. "It didn't take too long to get used to it. The first time was wild, though. I'm glad I didn't have a big breakfast. Thanks for the tip, by the way." Booth added, with a sidelong glance.

"No problem," Daniel said. "Glad I could help."

"Yeah," Booth agreed, "that definitely helped. I'm just glad that the whole freezing effect wears off after the first few times."

"Yes," Daniel nodded, "that wasn't fun though, it's been so long since the first time I went through the Gate, that the memory is getting further and further away."

"You've been doing this over ten years, haven't you?" Booth asked.

"Yes, going on eleven years now," Daniel answered.

"Do you ever think of stopping?" Booth wanted to know.

"Stop going through the Gate?" Daniel repeated, and at Booth's nod, he stopped to think about it for a minute. "I supposed I'll have to eventually, but not for some time yet."

Booth nodded and both men stared straight ahead as they kept waking.

"What about you?" Daniel asked, after a while.

"What, what about me?" Booth repeated the question, with a puzzled frown.

"Do you ever think of coming back to active duty?" Daniel clarified his question.

"Yes," Booth admitted. "But only for a minute and only if there is a dire need. Otherwise, I like my life just like it is and I have no wish to leave it."

Daniel nodded, and said, "that makes sense. As much as your sense of honor would demand that you sign up to defend your country, your sense of family obligation would require that you be present to see your son grow up. It must be difficult reconciling those two instincts."

Booth chuckled and shook his head at that observation.

"Did I say something funny?" Daniel asked, not knowing whether to feel confused or insulted.

"No, not really," Booth answered, as he stopped chuckling. "It's just that Bones said something very similar a few days ago."

"Dr. Brennan is very smart," Daniel commented, still confused. "But why is that funny?"

"It's not funny per se," Booth denied. "What's funny is that for a minute there I actually forgot that you were a squint."

"Excuse me?" Daniel asked.

"Ah, sorry Jackson, a squint is a scientist; you know because . . ." Booth started to explain, thinking that was what Daniel was confused about, but he was interrupted.

"No, I know what a squint is," Daniel said, remembering how Jack had enjoyed calling him that. "What I want to know is what do you mean, you forgot?"

"It's just that you look so much like a soldier and act and sound so much like one too, that it is easy to forget you are not, strictly speaking," Booth said, with a shrug.

"Ummm," Daniel said, with a frown, as he kicked a pebble out of his way.

"Did I say something wrong?" Booth asked, curious at the other man's reaction.

"No, not really," Daniel said, shaking his head. At Booth's unconvinced face, he sighed and added, "It's just that Jack has taken to pointing that out in almost every visit."

"Well," Booth ventured to say. "That's a compliment, isn't it? Especially, coming from the general."

Daniel sighed again and raked his fingers through his hair. "Yes, I know. But I never wanted to be a soldier; hell, for most of my time here, I've been opposed to the military mentality. And now to realize that I've taken some of their characteristics . . ." He trailed off with another shake of his head.

Booth said nothing, even when he thought that the anthropologist hadn't just taken on some of the military characteristics, but had pretty much become a military man. But he didn't think it was the moment to point that out; instead he decided to ask something that had been on his mind for some time now.

Before he could voice the question though, Sam and Vala laughed out loud and a few phrases of their conversation drifted back to Booth and Daniel. Daniel readjusted his bandana as he chuckled at what he heard.

"I love that woman," he said easily, "but I swear she puts as much planning into her shopping expeditions as Jack does into a military attack!! If only she paid as much attention to detail when she's helping me out in the lab," he finished wistfully.

"Would you really want her to change who she is?" Booth wanted to know.

"Well," Daniel answered, in a thoughtful tone before he shook his head and said, "No, I love her as she is – eccentricities and all. If she changed, she would no longer be the person I feel in love with, would she?"

"No, she wouldn't," Booth answered simply, and then he decided that this was the perfect opportunity. "Is it hard?" He asked quietly, looking directly ahead, and not at Daniel.

"Is what hard?" Daniel asked, curiously.

"Being on the same team with the woman you love," Booth clarified. "Is it hard to come on these missions with her, knowing how dangerous they are and how either one of you might not make it back alive?"

"You don't ask easy questions, do you?" Daniel asked, as he turned his head to look Booth straight in the eye. Booth shrugged, with half a smile, before turning to look back ahead, as Daniel took a minute to think the question through. He wanted to give a clear answer, as he knew where the question was coming from, and the last thing he wanted was to confuse the other man even more.

"Well, yes it is hard, of course," Daniel began and Booth nodded his head as if he hadn't expected anything else. "And I guess, if you asked me what I preferred, I'd say to have her stay back at the SGC where I know she'd be safe. But," Daniel added, when Booth nodded his understanding, "I didn't fall in love with a woman that was happy to stay behind where it's nice and safe, did I? No," he answered himself, seemingly forgetting that he was talking to Booth. "I fell in love with a former space pirate that doesn't know the meaning of the word prudence, and that can get into trouble by walking down the street. And I wouldn't change a thing about her," he said, with firm conviction. And while Booth digested that, Daniel went on.

"Besides, this," he said, waving towards the sky to signify space, "is where I met her. Working with her is how I fell in love with her; she's as much a part of SG1 as I am. It wouldn't be fair to make her stop doing what she loves to do and what she's work so hard to achieve just so I can be more comfortable. I love her and that means I want her to be happy and that means being a part of SG1. So, yes," Daniel concluded, going back to the question, "it is hard, but I wouldn't have it any other way. Nothing worth having is ever easy."

"And is it worth it?" Booth asked, still not looking at Daniel.

"Yes," Daniel answered, without hesitation. "It's the most worthwhile thing I have ever done. It hasn't been easy," Daniel continued in a more reflective tone, thinking back on everything they had gone through to get to where they were. "And not only because of the work we do, but because of who we are. We both had things in our pasts that made it very difficult for us to be open to the possibility of love. It took time, and more than one life and death situation, for us to open our eyes and admit to ourselves what was so obvious to everyone else." Daniel paused again and wondered what it was about Booth that was making him open up like this.

Daniel was a very private person who rarely discussed his emotions with those closest to him, much less with a virtual stranger. And yet, there he was, spilling his guts as it were. There was just something about Booth and his relationship with Dr. Brennan that reminded him not only of Vala and himself, but also of Jack and Sam. Maybe if he shared something of his history, it wouldn't take those two as long as it had taken him and Vala and nowhere near as long as it took Jack and Sam.

"Love," Daniel said after a few moments of silence, "is never easy. It is perhaps the most complex emotion there is. And while loving someone might seem to be the most natural thing in the world, being in love with someone and having a relationship with that person, might just be one of the hardest things you can do. But it is also one of the best things you can do and to let anything stand in the way of that, whether it be a job, or fears, or the past, it will ultimately only deprive you of one of the most fulfilling experiences you can have." With that piece of advice, Daniel fell silent.

Daniel had given Booth a lot to think about; it wasn't anything that Booth hadn't known or thought of before, but to hear it from a disinterested third party always brought the point home much more forcefully. Each man continued the journey lost in their own thoughts.

A few hours later, as they were nearing their destination, Mitchell silently called a halt to their marching by raising a closed fist. He then motioned them a few feet back and to the side, where they'd be under cover of the vegetation.

"What is it?" Sam asked softly, when they reached a well cover area.

"Teal'c here," Mitchell said, sending the Jaffa a quick glance, "has been seeing some tracks," he announced to the stunned silence of the team.

"Tracks?" Daniel repeated and Mitchell nodded.

"Animals?" Vala asked, frowning.

"I do not believe so," Teal'c answered as Mitchell shook his.

"The first few might have been," Mitchell elaborated, "but there are too many and in too structured a pattern to be animals. They're the kind of tracks that are made by a bunch of people walking down the same path over and over again."

"The aerial reconnaissance showed no sign of a population or any buildings that would indicate that there was ever a civilization on this planet," Sam reminded everyone.

"I know," Mitchell said. "That means that they were probably made by soldiers on a regular patrol." They all shared excited glances before Daniel said what everyone was thinking.

"Ok, so this is probably it," Daniel said, as he crossed his arms and shifted his feet.

"Yes," Mitchell agreed with a nod. "It probably is. And even if it's not, we've definitely come across something someone wants to hide. Either way, this little mission has just taken a turn." Whether it was a turn for the better or the worse no one knew.

"How do we proceed?" Booth asked, with a slight frown, as he tightened his grip on his P-90.

"Well," Mitchell said, as he took his cap off, and raked his fingers through his hair, before putting his cap back on. "Teal'c, Booth and I are going to go on ahead and do some scouting," he told them all and Booth and Teal'c nodded. He checked his watch and then he told the other three, "we're due for our check in with the SGC in fifteen minutes. Stay here and make the contact; tell them what we've found and to call back in – what, an hour?" Mitchell asked, looking at Teal'c and Booth, both of whom nodded. "In an hour and we'll let them know what we found." Sam, Vala and Daniel nodded and looked around for a place to sit down and wait. With a last nod at the three staying behind, Booth, Mitchell and Teal'c soundlessly left. Forty-five minutes later, they were back.

"So," Daniel said, looking up from the notes he was studying, "what did you find out?"

"It's definitely Ba'al's lab," Mitchell said, as he leaned against a tree and wiped his forehead with his forearm, before setting his cap back in place. "We saw two patrols of three Jaffas going in different directions from an entrance into a mountain about two clicks from here." He paused to take a sip from his canteen before resuming. "A few of them had the Cronos's mark but, he wasn't the only 'god' represented."

"There were also some former free Jaffas," Teal'c said evenly, but the rest of the team could tell how much that bothered him.

"There is also," Booth added, "a permanent guard of three soldiers at the entrance and who knows how many more inside."

"Should we request back up?" Daniel wanted to know. "Jack said that he could send SG2 and 5 as soon as we gave the word."

Mitchell frowned in thought, as he returned his canteen back to its place. "Back up wouldn't be a bad idea," he conceded. "But it would take them more than a few hours to get here from the Gate."

"Yes," Vala agreed. "But why is that a problem? Are we in some sort of hurry? We can wait for back up to arrive before acting, can't we?"

"Maybe," Mitchell said, doubtfully. "But the longer we wait, the greater the chances that our presence will be detected and the element of surprise eliminated. I think our best bet would be to take advantage of that element of surprise and act now."

"But we don't even know how many Jaffas we'd be facing," Daniel pointed out.

"That's true," Mitchell nodded, "but we don't have to face them, either. When I said that we should use the element of surprise, I mean that we should sneak into the lab, find out what we need to know, set up the explosives and get out without being seen. When we're a nice distance from it, we'll set off the explosives." Mitchell explained the plan he'd been thinking over for the past hour. "That's another reason why having two extra SG teams would be a detriment – the more people that try to go in . . ." he began but Daniel finished for him.

"The more chances we'd be discovered, I get it," Daniel nodded and then fell silent.

"So," Mitchell asked them, after a few moments of silence, "what do you think?"

"It wouldn't be the first time we infiltrate a Goa'uld's sanctum," Sam said with a small smile. "In fact, it wouldn't be the first time we get into Ba'al's fortress."

"Oh, I love invading the fortresses of the bad guys," Vala said enthusiastically. Daniel looked at her and shook his head even as he smiled at her. Mitchell's plan wasn't really different from the countless similar plans they'd acted on in the past; in fact, it was a variation of one that had been discussed in the preparatory sessions.

"I'm game," Daniel said with a shrug, but really, when wasn't he?

"As I am," Teal'c agreed, with a slight inclination of his head.

"I think," Booth began slowly, as if he was very cautiously choosing his words. "That we should spend a few more hours doing more reconnaissance to obtain the most information we can, but I agree with you. A quiet, low key infiltration tonight would probably work better than an all out assault."

"It's settled then," Mitchell said, as he looked around at the team and clapped his hand as he straightened up from the tree. "We spend a few more hours scouting and we go in after it gets dark." Everyone nodded, and they settled in to discuss who should go in what direction and at what time they would all come back for the final planning.

------------------------------------------

"How are you doing?" Angela asked Brennan, as she walked to where the forensic anthropologist was sitting in the control room.

"I'm fine," Brennan answered, without looking up from the files she was studying. She had come up to the control room the last time SG1 had made contact and had decided to wait there for the next update. So, she'd gone to the lab to get a bunch of files she'd needed to finish, then headed off to the commissary to get a cup of coffee and had then come back to the control room, taken over this small corner and hadn't moved since.

"Sweetie," Angela said, as she looked around the busy control room, before looking back down at her best friend, who still hadn't looked up. "Wouldn't you be more comfortable working down at the lab?"

"No, Angela," Brennan answered, without thinking about it. "I want to be here when Booth calls to check in."

"Bren, honey," Angela began slowly, "they said that they wouldn't contact us again until they were ready to come back, and that that wouldn't be until morning probably. You're not thinking of staying here until then, are you? You need to get some rest."

"I'm not tired," was the automatic response, which had Angela sighing and shaking her head. Getting Brennan to rest was difficult under normal circumstances, which these were far from being, and the only person capable of making her rest, was the person's whose absence was keeping her up in the first place.

"Bren, you've been up for more than twelve hours," Angela said, with a hint of exasperation in her voice, which Brennan ignored. "And I know for a fact that you haven't slept for more than five hours these last five days. You need to rest," Angela insisted and that last statement had caused Brennan to finally look up. Whatever it was that she was going to say, however, was lost in the noise from the Gate's sudden activation.

"Unauthorized off-world activation," was heard throughout the base, making Brennan jump up from her chair and scatter the contents of her folders all over the floor. Both she and Angela hurried to stand behind Walter, the Gate technician, even though that didn't really give them any more information as to what was going on.

"Report," was heard from behind them. Angela turned her head and saw both Generals O'Neill and Landry coming down the stairs at a quick pace.

"Waiting for the IDC to come through," Walter answered promptly, as he did whatever it was that he did on his computer. When the generals came to stand by his chair, Angela pulled Brennan to the side to give the military personnel some space.

"IDC coming through," Walter announced, once the Gate had finished spinning and the wormhole had been established. "It's Colonel's Carter," he said, as he looked up at the generals over his shoulder.

"Open the iris," Jack ordered, as he turned around and hurried towards the embarkation room, followed closely by Brennan, Angela and Landry.

They arrived at the end of the ramp leading to the Gate in time to see the ripple on the event horizon that heralded the arrival of a passenger. The whole group was surprised to see that it was Vala supporting an injured Sam followed closely by Teal'c carrying a badly wounded Daniel. Jack was the first to recover and he yelled "medical assistance to the embarkation room" as he hurried forward to help Vala with Sam.

"Close the iris," Teal'c called to the control room at almost the same time. The iris was swiftly closed, even as Brennan was staring at the wormhole, waiting for Booth to come through.

"T?" Jack asked the Jaffa as Doctor Frazier and her medical team entered the room and started to take care of Sam and Daniel. That was all Teal'c needed to hear to start giving a brief report.

"We were ambushed on the way out of the Ba'al's compound," was the succinct answer.

"Where's Booth?" Brennan asked, not caring that it was breaking protocol to interrupt an Air Force General when he was getting a report. Teal'c looked to Jack, who nodded, before answering Brennan's question.

"Major Booth and Colonel Mitchell," he began, as both Daniel and Sam were wheeled out of the room, followed by Vala. Jack and Teal'c followed the group with their eyes but stayed put to finish the informal de-briefing. "They became separated from the rest us as we were making our way towards the Gate. Daniel Jackson was wounded in the fight early on and Colonel Mitchell and Major Booth went in the opposite direction to lure the enemy Jaffa away from us and make it easier for us to reach the Gate."

Jack nodded his understanding as he slapped the other man on his shoulder and said, "Let's get you checked out and find out how Daniel and Sam are." Teal'c inclined his head in agreement and he, Jack and Landry turned towards the door.

"Wait!!!" Brennan called out, when she saw that they were just leaving, without doing anything to try and get Booth back. "What about Booth?! He could be injured or worse out there! We need to send help and bring him," at a look from Angela, she amended, "bring them back."

"Dr. Brennan," Jack said on a sigh. "I know that this is difficult for you to understand, but there is nothing that we can do about Booth and Mitchell right now."

"But, but they're out there all by themselves," she protested, looking from each of them to the Gate and back.

"We know," Jack said. "No one knows that better than us. But sending anyone after them right now, without proper planning and intelligence would be suicide – to Booth and Mitchell and whoever is sent. What we need to do right now is make sure SG1 is taken care of, have a proper de-briefing and then we'll come up with a rescue plan." With a final nod to emphasize that that was his final word on the subject, Jack turned around and left the embarkation room, following Teal'c and Landry.

Brennan looked after the three departing men for a few seconds, not believing that they were just going to go away. A few moments later, she turned her eyes towards the Gate and just stood there, not understanding how her world could take such a devastating turn in less than fifteen minutes. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she didn't feel Angela come up to her and gently encircle her shoulders. The two friends stayed that way for countless minutes, each trying to understand the new and frightening reality they suddenly found themselves in.


	19. Chapter 19

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **No, as much as I wish, Santa hasn't given them to me yet.

**A/N:** Ok, reposted due to technical difficulties. Well, it wasn't a few days but it was less than a week. And we're getting to the end of the road, just a few more chapters. I know, I said that before but this time I mean it about 4 at most. Thank you to Puppet for all her help betaing; Sany for listening to me go on and on; to everybody that's bother to review, I really appreciate it and I got ten reviews last chapter you must really like it! I want to dedicate this chapter to BGWG, whose wedding anniversary was yesterday and when she found out that this chapter was almost done, said it'd be a great anniversary gift. I think she deserves some better but since I can't really give her anythign else, I hope this'll do. And special thanks to Poly, who forgets her schoolwork for the time it takes her to read my chapters; to mendenbar, who's reviewed every chapter and keeps me wanting to write better; to Obi's second cousin, who understands the how crazy you have to be to write a crossover and who's fic I will finish soon but writing has taken a lot of my time; and to everyone from the yard that has followed the story from there to here and now to the aby, thank you! Well, without further ado, here's the chapter:

**Chapter 19**

An hour and a half later, Brennan was pacing in front of the big window in the conference room. She stopped in her tracks when she saw General O'Neill, General Landry and Teal'c walk in. As she saw them all sit down at the conference table, she hurried around to the other end and sat down too, eager to be part of the meeting and learn what they planned to do about Booth. Just in case they had a different agenda, she was prepared to remind them what was important. 

Angela, who had been following Brennan with her eyes, observed her best friend as she became more and more wound up, sighed with relief when Brennan finally sat down. Nothing she had said had done anything to calm Brennan down, mostly because she hadn't listened or hadn't been ready to listen to it. Angela could only hope that the debriefing would allow her to relax, at least a little.

At Angela's sigh, Hodgins reached out and grabbed her hand, squeezing it. Angela turned her face and sent him a small smile. All of the squints were present at the conference table; they had come up as soon as they heard the news and stayed around, not only to support Brennan but to be closer to the source of the news.

Jack took notice of Brennan and her team and thought of telling them to leave. He decided not to because there was a glint in Brennan's eyes that told him she wouldn't leave willingly. Besides they had been present from the beginning of the mission and deserve to be there for the rest. With one of their own missing, force would probably be needed to remove any of them. He knew that nothing short of physical force would keep any of the members of SG1 from a meeting where the fate of one of them would be discussed.

Just before Jack called the meeting to order, everyone turned to the door when Sam and Vala walked through it.

"Carter," Jack said, as the two women walked towards the table, "I thought Frazier wanted you to stay for observation for a few more hours."

"Yes, sir," Sam began as she sat down, and Angela was impressed how the couple was able to maintain proper military decorum in the middle of a crisis. Then again, seeing as how things around the mountain were so crazy, maybe what to Angela seemed to be a crisis, was just another day in the office for them. "But I'm ok and I thought I could be of help in the debriefing." When Jack just stared at her, Sam gave in and added, "I'll be going right back to the infirmary as soon as the debriefing is over." Jack gave a tight nod and turned to the dark-haired woman sitting next to his wife.

"Vala," Jack said simply.

"Jack," Vala replied, with a paler version of her normal smile.

"Aren't you supposed to be resting?" he asked, with a slight frown, as he tapped his fingers on the table. "You used the hand healing device on Daniel earlier; I know Frazier wanted you to rest too."

Angela and Hodgins shared a curious glance when they heard 'healing device' but, Brennan was so focused on Booth, that she didn't react except for a slow blink. Vala sighed before leaning back and rested her hands on her stomach.

"I rested and drank the orange juice and had some cookies," she said with a shrug. "I'm fine and right now I need to be here, doing something. I'd go nuts if I stayed over there by myself, waiting."

Brennan nodded absently; she was well acquainted with the need to stay busy to keep the worry at bay. Sam gave Jack a look and he gave in with a nod and a "Fine." A few moments later, he began the meeting.

"So," he said, looking around at the three members of SG1 that were present. "What happened?" Teal'c and Vala looked at Sam, who was the highest ranking member and thus the one to begin their report.

Sam began to go over it with the calmness and deliberation of a seasoned officer and once again Angela was impressed by the other woman's strength and discipline.

"Everything was going according to plan," Sam was saying, as she shifted in her seat. Though her injuries had been minor, she was pretty banged up and she couldn't find a comfortable spot on the chair. "We scouted around the entrance to the lab for the rest of the afternoon, waiting for nightfall to get a better idea of how many guards there were. When night finally fell and we felt we had a pretty good handle of their routine, we decided to go in.

"Since we were on a stealth mission and just wanted to get into the facility, get the information we needed and get out without being seen, we decided to split up. The less people that went in, the less chances that we'd be detected and it's always a good idea to have some one stay behind as back up, to make sure the way out stays clear." Jack nodded his head at Sam's explanation.

"Who stayed behind and who went in?" His only question, when Sam paused to take a sip of water.

"Well," Sam began, as she again shifted in her chair. "Since I was the only one that needed to go in to get the information, I argued that I should go by myself."

Before she even finished the sentence, Jack and Landry were shaking their heads and frowning.

"That's against procedure, Carter," Jack said, almost before she stopped talking. "You know, absent dire circumstances, we don't send just one person into that kind of situation."

"I know," Sam nodded her head with a twist of her lips, "and Mitchell was quick to point it out, as were Daniel and Teal'c. None of them even let me finish explaining my idea before they were shooting it down. Heck, Vala and Booth weren't that keen on it, either."

"Good," Jack said with a nod at Teal'c and Vala, both of whom nodded back. "At least they were following procedure," Jack said pointedly, and with a small grimace, Sam waved that point away.

"Anyway," she continued, "once it was decided that I wouldn't go in alone, I proposed to go in with Teal'c but Daniel objected. He said he should also go because, since that was Ba'al's facilities, I might run into some Goa'uld word or phrase that I might not understand." Sam frowned at the table, as she crossed her fingers over her stomach, and tapped her fingers on her hands. "I know enough Goa'uld to get by and it hasn't really been a problem the last few years but you never know – especially when it's Ba'al we're dealing with. He might have used some sort of dialect or even code when storing the data; I really wouldn't put it past him. If that were the case, Daniel's help would be invaluable.

"So, after much discussion, it was agreed that Daniel would also come. But then Mitchell said that if both Daniel and I were going, he had to go too; that two scientists needed two soldiers." Sam finished with a snort and both Jack and Landry smiled.

"And what did you say?" Jack asked her with a grin. 

"That I was a soldier as well as a scientist," she answered with a grin of her own. "And if he had any doubt I'd be more than happy to remind him."

"I bet he didn't take you up on that offer," Jack said with a soft chuckle and Sam shook her head. The short moment of levity had lightened everyone's spirit and even Vala was wearing a real smile, a small one but still a real one.

Brennan looked around the table and had to marvel at them. There they were talking about a dangerous mission where two officers had gone missing, and yet they were going on as if it were any old mission debriefing. But even as she didn't understand them, she had to admire the way Sam conducted herself. She was not only a scientist, the one that almost always saved the day with her scientific knowledge, but she was also a soldier that could kick ass with the best of them. And everyone in the room and on the mountain knew that and respect both aspects of her; and if for some reason they didn't then she'd make them because she didn't take crap from anyone.

Brennan saw a lot of herself in Sam but she also saw a lot of Booth in her. Sam had that same discipline and confidence that Booth had and that seemed to only come from a military training. As much as Brennan always wanted to be able to do everything Booth did, the more time she spent on the mountain and the more time she observed Sam, the more she started to realize that there were some things Booth was capable of doing that Brennan would never be able to do.

She remembered when they first met Sam, she'd asked Booth why the other woman was allowed to carry a gun when she wasn't and Booth had exasperatedly answered that Sam was a trained Air Force Lieutenant Colonel and Brennan wasn't. To Booth that had been answer enough; to Brennan it had been a cope out, but given the circumstances at the time, she hadn't been able to pursue the subject. Now, she was starting to believe that not having had military training, there just might be some things she was not qualified to do. It was a startling realization and one she put aside for the moment, to study later.

"No, he didn't," Sam answered Jack, bringing Brennan back to the present. "But he still insisted on coming along, pointing out that I may be both a soldier and a scientist but not even I could be at two places at once and both work on the computer and keep lookout. Since he was right, the four of us went in and Booth and Vala stayed behind.

"Everything went smoothly at first. We didn't encounter anyone as we were making our way in and were able to make it as far as what we're pretty sure was the main lab without being detected. Once there, I accessed the computer and was able to download all of its files. As the information was downloading, Daniel and I did some cursory reading and discovered that about half a dozen other clones were at various stages of completion somewhere in the facility."

That little announcement brought silence to the room as Jack and Landry shared dark glances and Sam and Vala shifted in their seats, the debriefing taking a harder toll on them than they would ever admit.

"After the information had all downloaded, we decided that we needed to go and find the chamber where the clones were being kept," Sam said but, when she paused to take another sip of water, Teal'c continued on instead.

"Colonel Mitchell and I planted enough C4 around the room to ensure that all the information would be destroyed once we triggered it," he said. "We then proceeded to the chambers where the clones were being matured."

"We didn't really know what we were going to do," Sam said in a thoughtful voice. "We hadn't discussed what to do if we would have encountered growing clones in any of our briefings. I don't think anyone thought that was a possibility."

"Looking back," Vala spoke up for the first time since Sam had began to recount the mission. "We should have. This is Ba'al we're talking about. With him, nothing is impossible and anything is probable."

"Yes, we should have thought about it," Sam agreed. "But we didn't. And we had a serious problem on our hands because of that oversight. Did we just blow up the maturation chambers like we were going to blow up the lab? But these were human beings we were dealing with; replicas, sure but still human beings. And they hadn't asked to be there, what's more they were replicas of people we knew and trusted. How could we just kill them?"

"But they were not the same people we knew and trusted," Teal'c pointed out the other side of the argument. "And we could not leave them to be used as a tool by the Goa'uld because they were based on the people that had dedicated their life to fight Goa'uld domination."

"There was no way we could bring them with us," Sam continued with a nod, agreeing with the point Teal'c made. "They weren't fully matured for one thing; for another, there just was no way we could leave with six clones in tow. And leaving them behind would have ensured that Ba'al used them against us later on, as Teal'c said."

"What did you do?" Jack asked, understanding both sides of the argument and knowing there was no right or wrong answer, even as he knew what he would have done.

"I disconnected the maturation chambers from the power supply," Sam said after taking a deep breath. "Any disruptions of the power to the chambers would most likely have resulted in the clones never maturing enough to wake up. The end result won't be that much different than if we had blown them up," She added with a pained grimace, "But it seemed more . . . humane somehow."

"You did what needed to be done," Jack said matter of fact. He knew that Sam would have problems with that decision but he also knew it was the only one that could have been made. After all, they didn't do what they did because it was easy, or because they wanted to, but because it needed to be done and there was no one else to do it.

"Yes," Sam said, though she didn't sound very sure. "But . . ."

"But?" Jack prompted, when she trailed off. Sam glanced at Teal'c before turning back and addressing Jack.

"As we were walking around the room we noticed that four of the chambers were opened," she finally said. "We don't know whether they were never used or whether the clones had already reached maturity and left." She shrugged and added, "for all we know, one of those chambers belonged to the clone of Lt. Long, but either way, the chances are very good that there are at least three clones walking around."

"God," Jack said softly, while he rubbed his face. Landry closed his eyes and pinched his nose; this was what they had feared.

"Is there any way to know who those clones are?" Landry asked Sam, "or better yet, where they are and what are they supposed to do?"

"I don't know," Sam answered with a shrug. "There should be something about that in the information we brought back but this is Ba'al. There is no way of knowing what we'll find. I doubt we'll find much about his plans but I think we'll, at the very least, find exactly who he cloned and maybe even who were the first."

"That's it?" Jack asked, not sounding thrilled.

"I know it's not much, sir," Sam acknowledged, "but it does give us an edge. Knowing exactly who he's cloned means we can take the necessary safety measures."

"Like?" Landry asked.

"Well," Sam said, as she leaned forward, and put her elbows on the table. "We know where to look to identify a clone and an original. Thanks to that, we know that everyone that was captured by Ba'al is an original and not a clone. They're also all here on the mountain; I think we should take the opportunity and change their identification numbers and their passwords. It would probably be best if they're computer generated; eliminating the possibility that someone might guess them.

"Also, every member of the SGC is implanted with a GPS locator chip. I think that those that have been cloned should have their chip modified to emit a specific and unique signal. We could also adapt the chip so that we can scan for it in routine swipes. I can also program the computers so that a flag would be raise if any person of that group has the wrong frequency in any scan."

Jack and Landry nodded their assent. "Is that all?" Jack asked.

"Off the top of my head," Sam answered, with a small smile. "I have a few other ideas but I have to think about them first."

"Ok," Jack said with a nod. "Let me know what they are when you're ready and meanwhile start working on the ones you mentioned."

"Yes, sir," Sam acknowledged the order.

"What happened after you disconnected the power in the maturation chambers?" Jack asked, going back to the mission.

"We started to make our way back out of the facility," Sam answered, effortlessly shifting back to the previous conversation. "Everything was going fine until about 10 -15 yards before the exit. We took a turn and ran into three Jaffa that must have been coming back from patrol. I don't know who was more surprised them or us, but we recovered first and were able to incapacitate them and continue towards the exit." 

"Unfortunately," Teal'c added, "the fight must have alerted those outside as we encountered two more before we were able to leave the building."

"Yes," Sam agreed, nodding her head. "We were able to make our way outside, where we found that Booth and Vala had distracted the guards that had stayed out." She shook her head as she added, "there must have been more patrols out than we had suspected, because there were at least eight Jaffa waiting for us outside."

"Yes," Vala said with a nod, "when we heard the commotion from inside and then saw the two guards hurry inside, we knew you had been detected and that if we didn't distract those still outside, you'd be walking out into an ambush."

"We finally knocked out enough of them that we could get into the forest and put some distance between us," Sam said after nodding at Vala's point. "But we knew it was only a matter of time before they came after us. When we stopped to regroup moments later, we saw that Daniel had been badly injured and would not be up to another fight. In fact, it was obvious that we needed to get him back to SGC ASAP."

"While Sam and I," Vala continued with the report, when Sam paused to take a drink of water, "did what we could about his injuries, we talked about what to do."

"The one advantage we might have had was that they didn't know whether we'd gotten to the planet by ship or through the Gate." Sam explained when Vala fell silent. "But their first action if they didn't find us would be to send men down to the Gate. While at that moment they were behind us, Daniel was in no condition to move swiftly and they would gain ground pretty quickly; maybe even get to the Gate before us. Plus, there was no way of knowing whether they had any patrol closer to the Gate than us. If they arrived at the Gate before us, it would mean that we would have a serious fight to get through it and given Daniel's condition, we wanted to avoid that.

"So, Mitchell thought that if we could lead them away from the Gate, maybe they would only send a few Jaffa to check it out and we wouldn't have as hard a time coming home. That, however, would mean splitting up."

"No one wanted to do it," Vala added. "Daniel argued fiercely against it, saying that he was fine and that we shouldn't worry about him." Vala gave a faint grin and Jack nodded, that sounded like Danny-boy.

"But he was not fine," Sam continued, "and even though splitting up in that type of situation is the last thing we ever do, it was necessary," Sam seemed to almost be asking for his blessing and Jack nodded encouragingly. He knew how hard a decision to split up was on the whole team; no one wanted anyone to stay behind and no one wanted to be the reason someone stayed behind, but sometimes that was the only thing to do.

"I said I would stay behind and lead the Jaffa away," Teal'c said, "but Colonel Mitchell refused."

"Daniel was barely walking," Sam explained, "and we needed Teal'c to carry him to the Gate. There was no way neither Vala nor I would have been able to get Daniel to the Gate quickly – even if we were working together."

"Booth or Mitchell could have done it," Vala added, "but neither would have done it as fast as muscles here."

Sam nodded and went on, "Vala and I also volunteered to stay and lead the Jaffa away, giving Teal'c and Daniel more time, but Mitchell refused, saying Vala would be no help because she'd be worried about Daniel and I would slow them down." After she explained Mitchell's reasons, Sam snorted softly to show her opinion of said reasons.

"To be fair," Vala argued, "I would have been worried about Daniel and Sam, you were hurt. Not as seriously as Daniel, but still you needed to come home." Sam grudgingly nodded and had to admit, if only to herself, that without Vala there to help her, the trek back to the Gate would have been almost impossible.

"Anyway," Sam continued, "Mitchell and Booth were the ones that stayed behind to lead the Jaffa away from the Gate. We gave them what rations and equipment we had left and they left, making enough noise to wake the dead," she added with a smile. "And they really had to work at it too because both of them usually move like ghosts; they rarely make a sound. But the ruse worked; we covered our tracks and laid low for a while and the patrol sent after us followed the trail Booth and Mitchell had made. The trip back to the Gate was uneventful and Mitchell had been right, we only found four soldiers at the Gate when we got there. It wasn't difficult to deal with them and come home."

Jack nodded and then asked, "Mitchell say anything?"

"Yes," Sam answered. "Wait two days before sending any type of rescue and not to try and make contact because we don't know whether it'd be intercepted." Jack nodded again and Brennan opened her mouth to protest, but Angela's hand on her arm stopped her.

"Ok, then," Jack said with another nod and a deep sigh. "We wait, but let's keep monitoring the Gate for Jaffa activity." Everyone nodded and it was clear the debriefing was all but over.

"That's it?" Brennan asked, incredulous. Everyone turned to look at her and Jack exhaled, he'd known this was going to happen. "Ok, we wait and monitor? You're not sending anyone after them? What if they're injured and need help? You're just leaving them there by themselves?" She ignored Angela's hand on her arm and stared down at the military people at the table.

"Temperance," Sam said, trying to calm the other woman down. "They're fine and they have enough provisions for a few days. And because they had been the ones to do the scouting, they know the terrain. They'll be fine."

"They'll be fine?" Brennan repeated in a disbelieving tone. "We're just going to hope that they'll be fine and do nothing?"

"We're not doing nothing," Jack denied in a firm voice, "we're doing our jobs and trusting them to do theirs. And that is just what they are expecting us to do. This is what they are trained to do – what we are all trained for. Doing anything else would just put them and more people in danger."

"But. . ." Brennan started to protest and Angela tightened her hand, hoping to stop her.

"But nothing," Jack interrupted, "we'll do as Mitchell said and wait two days before sending in anyone after them."

"I want to go," she said immediately and had Angela closing her eyes and Sam shaking her head. "When you finally send someone after them, I want to go."

"Now, Dr. Brennan," Jack began slowly, "if I didn't let you go when it was simply a recon mission, what makes you think that I will let you go now that it's a search and rescue?"

"But I could help," Brennan argued.

"Doctor," Jack said on a sigh, "you're a forensic anthropologist; I appreciate your . . . enthusiasm, but really your expertise is not needed. You don't have the training and would only hold us back."

"But . . ." Brennan's protest was cut off by a nurse walking into the conference room.

"Generals," she began and continued when Jack nodded his head and made a go ahead gesture with his hand, "excuse the interruption, but Doctor Frazier thought you might like to know Doctor Jackson is out of surgery."

"How is he?" Vala asked, barely waiting for the nurse to finish speaking.

"He's good," the nurse answered with a smile. "He came through the surgery without any problems and is now resting comfortably."

"Thank you," Jack said as the whole table seemed to breathe a sigh of relief. As Vala moved to push away from the table, Jack turned to Brennan, who had opened her mouth to protest some more, and said, "Dr. Brennan, I will keep you appraised of any new developments, but for right now this conversation is over." He then turned to the rest of the table and released them, "Dismissed."

Vala wasted no more time and hurried out of the room. Before following after Vala, Sam turned to Brennan and said, "He'll be fine, Temperance. They both will." With a last nod, she turned and walked towards Jack, who was waiting for her by the door to go and check on Daniel together.

Teal'c also stopped by her chair and said, "Major Booth is a natural born warrior; he will be fine because he will not accept any other alternative. You should have more faith in his abilities." With that he too turned and left for the infirmary.

Brennan watched them go in stunned silence before turning to Angela. "How can they know he'll be fine, huh? How can they possibly know that? And why aren't they sending anyone after him? What about that whole 'we don't leave people behind'?" She stopped for a minute and turned back to look at the front of the table. "Damn and why won't he let me go? Who is he to tell me I'd hold them back? I would not hold them back! I . . ."

"Sweetie," Angela said softly, trying to calm her down, but when she just kept going, Angela raised her voice, "Bren!"

Angela's near shout was enough to stop Brennan's tirade and she turned to look at Angela with eyes that were glassy.

"Oh, sweetie," Angela said, as she leaned forward and put her arm around Brennan's shoulders. The rest of the team knew an emotional talk was coming on and knowing Brennan would not like to be seen like that, discreetly left the two best friends alone.

"General O'Neill has the authority not to let you go because he is the boss and you know that," Angela began, deciding to take her questions one by one. "And he's right and you know that too. We've talked about this; you're not trained to go off-world and would only end up compromising the mission."

"But that was then, Angela," Brennan argued. "Booth's missing now."

"Exactly," Angela agreed, "and that just means that you should be going out there even less. Bren, you don't have the training and now you're emotionally involved - do you really think it is a good idea for you to go out there?" When Brennan just stared at her without saying anything, Angela continued, "And what do you think Booth would think of you wanting to go out there?"

"He wouldn't like it," Brennan conceded, "but that's too bad; he doesn't get to have an opinion because he's not here. He decided to play hero and stayed behind, so he doesn't have a say in this."

"He might not have a say, but General O'Neill does" Angela countered, "and he was doing what he does, protect and take care of those that can't take care of themselves. That's core Booth and you know that, Bren."

"Yes, I do," Brennan agreed, as she rubbed her forehead. "But because that's who he is, he's now stuck on who knows what planet and stuck there for who knows how long!"

"Honey," Angela said, when she saw how upset Brennan was getting again, "he will be fine. Yes, he will," she repeated when Brennan was going to argue. "And how do I know? How do they know? Because, this is what he was trained for, Brennan. This is what he does." When Brennan didn't look convinced, Angela went on.

"Ok, do you remember that time you two came to help when Kirk died?" When Brennan nodded, Angela continued, "When the Sheriff dropped us off in the middle of the dessert and we thought he wasn't coming back, do you remember what Booth did?"

"He didn't do much, did he?" Brennan asked, trying to think back.

"He didn't panic," Angela answered, "he was prepared and knew exactly what to do. He's a Ranger, Bren, he knows how to handle himself. And I'm sure he has had more than enough experience being in the middle of a forest eluding the enemy. He will be fine because this is what he does," Angela repeated firmly looking into Brennan's eyes. "And you need to believe that, Brennan. You need to believe enough in him and his training to know he will be fine."

"So, what?" Brennan asked with a frown, "we're back to waiting and trusting?"

"Yes, and praying," Angela agreed with a smile. "But I'll do the praying for both of us. He will be fine, Brennan. And so will you."

"Promise?" Brennan asked quietly.

"I promise," Angela said, with a soft smile as she leaned forward to hug Brennan, who returned the hug.

-----------------------------------

"Damn it," Booth said with a grimace as he tasted his supper. "I hate MRE's."

"Yeah," Mitchell agreed, as he took another bite of his. "I don't think anyone really likes them. But they keep us going."

"Yes," Booth said, as took a long swallow out of his canteen. "In all this time, you'd think the Army could have come up with something better, wouldn't you?"

"Well," Mitchell said as he put away his trash. "Why mess with something that works? That's their motto."

Booth made a noncommittal sound and looked down to finish eating. They were in a cave a few clicks from Ba'al's facilities. They had easily evaded the Jaffa after them and had gone to a hidden cave they had found earlier in the day. They planned to spend the night there and then see if they could make their way closer to the Gate without being detected. Whether they moved out tomorrow would depend on how persistent the Jaffa were being.

Either way they were in a safe location for the time being and did not really anticipate any problems in the foreseeable future. They'd only wished they could find out if the others had made it back home without incident and how Jackson was doing. Booth also wished that there was a way for him to let Bones know that he was ok; he knew how bad she would have taken the news that he'd stayed behind. Unfortunately, there was nothing else he could have done. He was just going to have to find a way to make it up to her. And thinking of the million and one ways he could do just that, Booth fell asleep.

* * *

**A/N2: **You thought I'd keep you in suspense as to Booth's fate? I wouldn't do that to you; I don't mind cliffies but I'll resolve them soon after since I don't like to be kept waiting either! As for those that suggested Brennan go off world to rescue Booth, I can understand your desire to see her charge to the rescue. And it is totally in character for her to want to go but I wanted to keep the story as realistic as possible (well, as possible as a fic about two fiction shows, one scifi, can be) and I just don't think Jack would let her go, moreover, I don't think any general in the armed forces would let her go - it's just not feasible. Plus, and more significantly, I wanted this fic to be about Booth being in his domain; I wanted him to be the expert in something for a change. I think the writers sometimes tend to show him not as not too bright and I don't think that's true so I wanted to show him as being excellent in his field. How would it look if she were to rescue him on his mission? Not good, so for now she's staying in the base and waiting for Booth. I'm sorry if that dissapoints anyone but that's how I always intended the fic to go. Brennan is an amazing person but she's not wonder woman anymore than Booth is superman and maybe it's time both of them realized that. Anyway, that's only my opinon I hope you can still enjoy the fic even if you don't agree with me. 


	20. Chapter 20

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to keep saying it, thereby depressing myself? I don't own then - none of them, more's the pity.

**A/N:** Look! A new chapter before the week is out!! I was good, wasn' t I? This was an easier chapter to write than the last few had been and I think, I hope and pray that you will thinks so too, it's about the best chapter. Won't say the same cause I don't want to spoil it. Just thanks to everyone that's still following this loooong fic and it is pretty big, isn't it? Thanks to those that take the time to review and thanks to Puppet, for all her help betaing and her encouragement, it makes the whole process much easier. So, thanks to everyone and enjoy:

**Chapter 20**

"Vala," Brennan said, as she walked up to where the other woman was sitting, next to the bed of a sleeping Daniel. "I thought you might like something to eat and drink," she said, as she offered a tray that had a cup of coffee and a plate with a piece of pie.

"Thank you," Vala said, with a smile, as she reached out and took the tray. She shifted on her chair and settled the tray on her lap. She picked up the cup and took a sip before putting it back down. She then picked up the fork and broke a bit of pie, which she played with but never brought to her mouth.

"You don't like apple pie?" Brennan asked, eyeing how Vala played with it.

"No, I like it," Vala denied and then looked at Brennan with a rueful smile, "I guess, I'm just not very hungry."

"I understand," Brennan said with a nod. She then cast her glance around the room as Vala went back to staring at Daniel and taking another sip of her coffee.

"How is he doing?" Brennan finally asked, after a few minutes of silence.

"Good," Vala said with a nod and a sigh. "He's doing as good as can be expected, the surgery went very well. He was still a bit groggy from the anesthesia but sleep is the best thing for him. Thankfully, he fell into a normal sleep a few hours ago and should wake in a couple more hours. He'll have to take it easy for a while and we'll probably have to put up with his five year old persona."

"Five year old persona?" Brennan asked, interrupting the other woman.

"Yes," Vala answered, with what was probably her first really smile in a while. "The guys, and that includes Mitchell and Jack, are not good patients. For some reason whenever they are recuperating, they all revert back to their childhood and act like active five year olds that have been trapped indoors for days. We do not have a peaceful, calm forecast for the next few days but," she added with a grin, "I happen to know that there are quite a few translations that he's been wanting to finish. Hopefully, they'll be enough to distract him and we won't have a full tantrum on our hands."

"I see," Brennan said, nodding, even though she wasn't sure if she did see. She hadn't been around a cooped up five year old since she herself was five and as such, didn't really know what Vala was talking about. But then she thought of how restless and annoying Booth got whenever he was confined and swiftly understood what it was the other woman was referring to. "Well, I hope those translations keep him busy," she said, sincerely, even as she thought that a bunch of paperwork would not have a snowball's chance in the middle of the Atacama desert to distract Booth, if he were the one injured.

That thought, however, led back to the reason Brennan was feeling so restless, herself, at the moment. Booth was missing. He had been missing for almost twenty hours by then. The checks on the planet had revealed quite a lot of Jaffa activity still and a rescue had thus not been initiated, nor had any communication been established. And Brennan felt that she was going out of her mind with worry. She hadn't been able to sleep, food had been pushed around and around her plate, much like Vala was doing at the moment, and work had not been able to keep her attention for more than a few minutes at a time.

Angela was following her around, insisting that she eat, sleep or talk about what she was feeling. But Brennan was talked out and trying to sleep only meant that she laid in bed, starting at the ceiling, imagining everything that could happen to him, and food was the last thing on her mind. So, she'd started dodging Angela. It probably meant that she was being a dreadful best friend but she just did not feel up to another talk about her feelings or another argument about how she was not taking care of herself. The only thing she wanted right now was to be left alone.

And yet, somehow she'd found herself bringing coffee and pie to the one person that was guaranteed to not be alone for more than five minutes. SG1 was a family and a tight one at that. From what Brennan had observed, Jack, Sam and Teal'c had taken turns keeping Vala company, while she waited at Daniel's bedside. But when she'd walked into the infirmary, still not sure what she was doing there, there had been no one standing or sitting by the couple and Brennan had, for one of the few times in her life, followed her gut and taken a seat next to the former space pirate.

"Those translations will keep him occupied only so long," Vala said somewhat distractedly, bringing Brennan back to the conversation. "Soon enough, he'll be wanting to move around, and start to fight the nurses, and me, when we tell him to take it easy." She gave a deep sigh and said, "Oh, well, we wouldn't want things to get boring, would we?" She asked with a grin, that, for some reason reminded Brennan of Angela.

"I guess not," Brennan said slowly. "How are you doing?" She asked after another few moments of silence had fallen over the two women.

"Me?" Vala asked, as she turned to look at Brennan. "Fine, I'm fine."

"It can't be easy," Brennan commented as she gestured to Daniel, "seeing him injured like this."

"No, it's not," Vala said simply, as she finished her coffee and put the tray away, having only eaten about half of the pie. "But it's not the first time he's been injured and unfortunately it won't be the last," she said, so calmly, and matter of factly, that Brennan was surprised.

"Does it get easier?" She asked; a variation of the questions that had been going through her head since they arrived at the mountain. "Do you ever get used to it? To him being in danger every time he steps through the Gate?"

"Does it get easier? Do I get used to it?" Vala repeated the questions, as she leaned forward and took Daniel's hand. She then fell silent as she thought the questions through. "I don't think you ever really get used to it but you do learn how to deal with it. And it's never easy; it's just the way things are."

"It's just the way things are? What kind of answer is that?" Brennan asked herself, but the look on Vala's face, told her that she had actually said it out loud. "I'm sorry," she immediately started to apologize. Maybe she should try harder to sleep, if sleep deprivation was going to make her say out loud what she only meant to think. "I didn't mean to . . ."

"Oh, no, don't apologize," Vala said with a chuckle. "I understand. You science types are all the same; you have this incessant need to know the what for of everything, to have rational, logical explanations for every little thing, to dig in and investigate and research, dissect until you get to the bottom of things and find out how things work, what makes them tick and why they work. And you just don't understand that you make things ten times harder than they really are."

"Well, I," Brennan started to defend herself.

"No, please," Vala interrupted, when she saw that Brennan had stiffened as she was speaking. "Don't be offended. I don't mean anything bad by it. The world needs scientists or it wouldn't have gotten where it has. And hell, I fell in love with a scientist and my best friend is one too and if they had not kept asking questions until they got the right answers, we wouldn't be here now. But as useful as that trait can be, it sure makes your personal lives a lot more complicated than they have to be."

"I don't understand what you mean," Brennan said, perplexed. "How can trying to understand something make it more complicated?"

"Because some things can't be explained to a scientist's satisfaction; some things just are and you have to take them on faith," Vala answered simply.

"Faith," Brennan said, with a snort, as she shifted her gaze around the room.

"Yes, faith," Vala said firmly. "I know, I know, for you taking anything on faith without tangible proof is well . . . difficult," Vala used the understatement with a smile. "But some things can't be quantified, measured or analyzed. They just are and the more you try to study them, the less you understand them."

"That," Brennan declared, with a puzzled look on her face, "does not make sense."

"Maybe not," Vala agreed with another chuckle. "But then, life doesn't always make sense, it'd be pretty boring if it did, don't you think?"

"No," Brennan denied firmly. "I think it'd be much easier if it did."

"You would," Vala conceded with good humor. "But isn't there something you have faith in?" Vala asked curiously.

"Science," Brennan answered, without thinking twice about it.

"Of course," Vala said with a nod. "Besides science, though, isn't there something or someone that you have complete faith in? Someone that you know will always be there for you, that you trust above everything else, even when the evidence points to the contrary? That can make you feel as if everything will be fine just by hugging you? That makes you feel safe and protected just by being next to you, even if the world is falling apart around you? I hope you do because, if you don't you're missing out on one of the greatest things in life."

"Is that what Daniel does for you?" Brennan asked, as she turned to look at Daniel and avoided answering the question herself. She knew the answer, and she had known it as fast as she'd known the previous one, but it just wasn't something she felt comfortable talking about. She was going to have to think about it, but later, when she was by herself. Right now there were other things she wanted to think about.

"Yes," Vala answered without hesitation. "That is what he does for me," she said, as she turned to look back at Daniel and reached out to stroke his hair. "Before I met him I didn't believe that I could count on anyone but myself. My life had . . . well, let's just said that I've had some rough times. I learned early on that, even the people that were supposed to love you, and protect you, would not necessarily stick around, that it's always better to rely only on yourself because that way you won't be disappointed when they leave. And lessons learned early tend to stick, especially when they're reinforced later on.

"I got very good at not letting anyone get close to me and at looking out for myself. My life was my own and if I was not happy, I was at least content and safe. And I thought that was enough, that I didn't need or want anything else. And then I met Daniel," she trailed off with a soft smile as she caressed Daniel's cheek before she leaned back in her chair and turned to look at Brennan.

"You know," she said, with a quiet laugh, "I've never met anyone so nice and decent before. Even when I'd had just hijacked the space ship he was on and fed him some sad stories, he tried to help me. He genuinely likes to help people, will give almost everyone the benefit of the doubt and will always give a second chance to anyone that wants one. Meeting him was an eye opening and life altering experience." She grew quiet for a few moments and then added with a grin.

"Not that he's perfect, believe me, he can be very annoying," both woman shared a chuckle at that. "But meeting him showed me that there could more to life that just the next con; and when I met the rest of the team I learned that there really were people out there whom you could trust and on whom you could depend. Meeting them changed me, and before I realized it, I was doing an entirely selfless act, which I wouldn't have contemplated before."

Vala paused again, but this time the silence wasn't lighthearted, but rather heavy and her eyes were dark with memories Brennan couldn't begin to comprehend. "Knowing Daniel, being with him, makes me want to be a better person; it makes me want to be more than I thought I could be. As strong as I was alone, I'm stronger with him. I may not have the independence or freedom I had before but the security I feel in knowing he'll always be there more than makes up for it. Loving him may not be easy, knowing he could get hurt during any mission may keep me up some nights and sometimes I might wish that we both had safer jobs, but I wouldn't change a single thing of the past two years. Loving him and having him love me is the best thing that's happened to me."

"So, all the worry and the fear are worth it?" Brennan asked, looking into Vala's eyes.

"Oh, it's more than worth it," Vala stated firmly and quickly. "It's not easy giving up your independence when you've been alone for so long and it's not easy to trust someone else with your heart, when everyone you've ever loved has let you down. But if you find the right person, if you find the person that loves you just as you are, that accepts your fears and demons and gives you the strength to face them and overcome them, if you find the one person that can make you stronger and better than you were alone, then letting go of the past and embracing the future becomes easy and the best damn thing you can do."

Vala stopped for a minute to look at Daniel sleep and then turned to Brennan and directly addressed what the other woman had so studiously avoided mentioning, "Loving Booth will not make you less and it will not take away your independence. Loving him will free you in a way that you can't imagine now; it will give you the strength to confront things you don't think yourself capable of facing. I know he has a dangerous job and I know that it won't be easy living with that. But tell me, is it any easier now? I can't tell you what to do, just as I can't tell you what the future will bring. What I can tell you is that I've never been as a happy as I am now that I'm with Daniel and that if I had to do it all again I would do it in a second without thinking about it. I don't regret any of the things I may have lost, but I can't imagine giving up any of the things I have gained."

Sam and Teal'c came into the infirmary at that moment and saved Brennan from having to make any response. She stayed there a few minutes and then rapidly escaped to her room; she had a lot of thinking to do. And she might just add a little prayer to her list of things to go over.

------------------------------------

"I can't," Booth said, as he and Mitchell were getting their gear in order. Mitchell looked up with a curious expression and Booth went on, "as tempting as the idea of being a part of this is, I really can't come back."

"Are you sure?" Mitchell asked.

"Yes," Booth said firmly, "a few years ago, this would have been a dream assignment. But a few years ago, I didn't have Parker; a few years ago, I wasn't happy or satisfied with my life, but I am now. I want – I need to be there to see my son grow up. I can't leave him; I can't leave my job, my family, and friends. I can't leave Bon . . ." He trailed off, but Mitchell finished for him.

"You can't leave your Bones," he said with a grin.

"If I'm needed," Booth said, ignoring the interruption, "really needed, then, of course I'll do my duty. But I don't really see how my expertise is so unique that you need _me_ specifically. And without a darn good reason, I'm just not willing to leave behind the life I've created."

"I understand," Mitchell said, nodding his head.

"You do?" Booth asked.

"Of course," Mitchell answered with a shrug. "Family comes first. Plus, not only have you done your duty but the job you're doing now is very important. The bad guys aren't only out here, they're back home, too, and someone needs to take care of them. As much good as you could do out here I'm glad that you're taking care of the innocents back home."

"Thank you," Booth said quietly, and both went back to getting ready to leave. They had moved to a closer location the day before and now were planning on making their way back to the Gate. With any luck, they could be home later that day, and only a few hours later than the forty-eight hour deadline Mitchell had set.

They were quiet and cautious as they made their way towards the Gate, keeping an eye out for the Jaffa patrols that were still making the rounds. Finally, Mitchell, who never stayed quiet for long, gave in and broke the silence.

"So, what's the deal between you and Dr. Brennan?" he asked.

"What do you mean 'what's the deal?" Booth answered with a sideways glance. "We're partners and friends."

"No," Mitchell denied, shaking his head. "I mean, yes, sure you're partners and friends but you're also more than that. Everyone's seen it."

"Maybe," Booth said slowly and quietly, surprising himself and Mitchell. It was the first time he'd ever admitted out loud that there could be more between him and Bones, and for it to be to someone he met the week before was somewhat out of character. But he'd just spent an intense two days, evading enemy patrol and living in very close quarters with Mitchell; that kind of experience tended to bond two people quickly. And the truth of the matter was that the relationship with Bones and how much it could be had been on his mind a lot lately.

"Maybe?" Mitchell repeated, "ok, weren't really expecting you to say that," he admitted.

"What were you expecting me to say?" Booth asked, curiously.

"A complete denial of anything but friendship was what I was expecting," Mitchell answered, as he swept his eyes over the bushes, "but this is good, really good. You want to expand on that maybe?"

"No," Booth answered with a quiet laugh. "I don't have much more to say. It's . . . well, it's complicated."

"Of course it's complicated," Mitchell said with a shrug. "Every relationship is complicated."

"Yes, well," Booth said with a frown. "This is one is more complicated than most."

"Look," Mitchell said, after a few moments, "I haven't known you too long and I know Dr. Brennan even less and, given my history, I'm probably the last person that should be giving advice on relationships, but . . ."

"But you're going to anyway?" Booth asked with a grin.

"Yes, I am," Mitchell answered with a smile. "I've seen the way you look at her and I've seen the way she looks at you and I've noticed how you guys interact with each other, how you compliment one another and do you know who you two remind me of?"

"Who?" Booth asked curiously.

"The General and Sam," was the simple answer. "You two have that same kind of relationship, that same intimate knowledge that has nothing to do with sex, the same trust, loyalty and respect, the same communication that doesn't need words, the same that they have. And I think that that is the foundation of every successful relationship." He turned to see how Booth was taking all this and found that Booth's face was inscrutable. "Like I said, I'm no one to give you advice and with this I'll shut up: a romantic relationship with someone you work with is not easy, especially when the job is as dangerous as yours is. But you don't get to choose who you'll love, do you? The only thing you can do is move forward and do your best to make it work. It'll probably mean a lot of work, but neither you, nor Dr. Brennan seem to be scared of hard work."

A sound to their left, made them turn with their weapons raised, but it turned out to be just a native animal that looked like a cross between a rabbit and a squirrel. It did serve to remind them that they were still in the middle of hostile territory and that they should be more aware of their surroundings. With a meaningful glance, they both got their heads back into the job and stopped chatting. Booth, however, had been given a lot of food for thought.

-----------------------

When the forty-eight hours came and went without any news from Mitchell and Booth, Jack ordered SG2 and SG3 to get ready. Two hours later, they were all ready and assembled in the embarkation room, waiting to leave on the search and rescue mission.

Brennan had also come to the embarkation room to see them leave. She knew that being there didn't really bring her closer to Booth, but she did not know what else to do. The conversation she had with Vala the day before had gone around and around her mind making sleep more elusive than ever, until Brennan had given in and gone to the lab in the middle of the night. Angela had found her there early in the morning and had forced her to the commissary, where she'd pushed her breakfast around the plate.

Then when the forty-eight hours were officially over, Brennan had headed straight to Jack's office to demand he do something. When she got there, she had found out that Jack had already given the order and SG2 and 3 were in the locker room getting ready. So, with no need to make any demands or give a lecture, Brennan had taken over a corner by the door of the embarkation room. She didn't plan on moving from that spot until someone came back with news about where Booth was and how he was doing; whether that plan was logical and rational or not, it didn't really matter to her at that point.

Angela recognizing the set of her chin as her 'I've made up my mind and nothing's changing it' set, just sighed and had an airman bring down two chairs and then had sat down and gotten as comfortable as possible. She'd also sent word to Hodgins about Brennan's plan and he'd been coming down every half hour to ask if they were ok and whether they needed something. When he had heard that more SG teams were being sent out, he had gone back, only to let the rest of team know, and now they were all down in the embarkation room waiting with Brennan and Angela.

Jack had just sighed, and then ignored them, when he'd seen the team and the rest of the military personnel had followed his lead. There really was nothing else he could do; they had gotten everything they could from the two bodies and it was just a waiting game.

"Ok, kids," he said, as he walked into the embarkation room, clapping his hands. "You ready?" Colonels Reynolds and Martinez, CO's of SG2 and 3, nodded their heads in agreement. Teal'c, the only member of SG1 that was going back; Doctor Frazier had not cleared Sam for Gate travel yet, and Vala had opted to stay behind too, tilted his head and said, "Indeed."

Jack nodded back and was about to give the order to start dialing the Gate when it activated on its own. Immediately the 'Unauthorized Off-World Activation' alarm and announcement could be heard throughout the mountain. Brennan turned abruptly towards the Gate, from where she'd been pacing close to the wall, but other than wrapping her arms tightly aground her waist, she didn't move again.

Sam and Vala shared a glance, and then turned to stare at the Gate, like everyone else. Angela jumped up from her chair and grabbed Hodgins' hand as they took a few steps closer to the Gate. The only sound heard in the embarkation room for the next few moments were the sounds that the Gate makes as it goes around and the chevrons engaged. The protective iris activated as soon as the Gate did and prevented the people in the room from seeing the wormhole form.

When the wormhole was finally formed, everyone turned as one to the control room and held their breath until Walter called out, "IDC coming in. . . It's SG1, Colonel Mitchell's!!"

Before Jack could finish saying 'open the iris," Walter had already opened it. Angela heard Brennan draw in a sharp breath and hold it as they waited to see the two missing men step through the Gate. Finally, after what had seemed like hours but was in reality only a few seconds, two bodies came out of the rippling surface of the wormhole. As they walked down the ramp and it was clear that both Booth and Mitchell were injury free, Angela felt, more than heard, Brennan release the breath she'd been holding.

As Booth stepped down from the ramp, he looked around the room, ignoring the cheers and conversation flowing around him, intent only on finding Brennan. When he saw her standing by the blast doors, he stopped walking and they locked eyes with each other.

When Brennan finally locked eyes with him, it was as if everybody else in the room disappeared. She couldn't believe that it was finally over and he was home. For a few seconds, she was paralyzed and then, for the second time in as many days, she followed her instincts and acted without thinking first. They both started to walk towards each other and before she knew it, she was running. When she finally reached him, she threw her arms around his neck and held on as tight as she'd ever held onto anything or anyone.

Booth was a little surprised at the strength of the embrace, but returned it with the same intensity. There had been moments in the last two days when the thought that he might not get to see her again had tormented him and he was glad for the chance to hold on to her and convince himself she was real and he was finally back on Earth.

Brennan drew in a deep breath and when the unique smell that was Booth reached her, the knot she'd been living with for the past two days finally left and she felt alive again. And then, unbidden, Vala's questions from last night came into her head, '_isn't there someone that you have complete faith in? Someone that you know will always be there for you? That can make you feel as if everything will be fine just by hugging you? That makes you feel safe and protected just by being next to you, even if the world is falling apart around you?_Just like then, the answer to all those questions floated to her mind without having to think about it: Booth. Booth was the person that did all those things for her. And without meaning to, she started to remember all those times when he had been there to comfort her or make her feel better.

Like a movie, they started to replay in her mind: "_It's ok, I'm right here. It's all over. I'm right here, it's all over," _when Kenton had tried to kill her and he had rushed to her rescue straight from a hospital bed.

"_I don't care what it looks like or how you read the evidence, she didn't do it,_" when everyone in New Orleans, herself included, had considered the possibility that she had killed Dr. Leger. Sometimes, he seemed to have more faith in her than she did in herself.

"_I know who you are. Hey, I know. It's ok. Shush, it's going to be alright_." It was him that had validated her identity, when looking into her mother's disappearance had prompted an identity crisis.

"_I've got something for you . . . Meet Jasper. You're going to be ok. Definitely_," only Booth would give her a silly plastic pig to try and cheer her up after she'd been forced to kill someone. The funny thing was, it had worked. What she hadn't realized until now was that it worked because it was him that was giving her the pig.

"_All right, Ok. It's alright,_" As he hugged her tight when she thought that the pool of blood on her apartment's floor was her brother's. He was always ready to hug her worries and fears away and she had come to rely on that as she relied on little else.

"_Hey, there's more than one kind of family_," He always knew the right thing to say when she was sad. And he was right; he was her family and having him there had made seeing her father and brother leave her once more, bearable.

"_I'd been drinking now, just a little too much . . . there's only one thing for me to do, to keep on trying to get home to you. Yeah, what about it_?" Singing that song with him, had given her the peace that she'd lost when she saw her father again. And at the same time, it had made an old memory comforting instead of sad.

"_Hey, it's hot. You were going to burn yourself ... Cause, you and me, we're the center_," He was always looking out for her and protecting her, even from herself.

"_Making love, making love . . . that's when two people become one … what's important is we try. And when we do it right, we get close . . . to a miracle_," she had known then that he was right. That making love with someone you love was as close to a miracle as man can get. But she hadn't realized then that one could achieve that closeness before you made love, but she did now.

As she drew back to look at his face, various phrases from the last few days came and went in her mind. Angela saying "_Sweetie, what you're feeling is perfectly normal… You're in love with Booth."_ And Sam saying, _"I guess, in the end, it all comes down to respect and trust. I respect Jack and trust him to make the right decisions . . . I imagine it's the same with you and Booth; the same reason why you listen to him when you'd rather not." _And Jack, "_If you love someone, not acknowledging it, or denying it doesn't make it go away . . . The only thing that denying those feelings does is rob us of the time we could have spent with the person we love . . . memories are a cold comfort in the dead of night, but they're a hell of a lot warmer than regrets . . . Fear is a normal reaction that is actually needed for our survival but it can also make us miss some of the best things life has to offer . . . But only you can decide when the time is right and only you can decide whether to act or not. The only thing worse than regretting doing something, is regretting not doing it and always wondering 'what if?' . . . The choice is yours and the future is for you to do as you deem best. Don't let anyone tell you how to live your life – not even your own demons."_

And Vala saying with utmost certainty, "_But if you find the right person, if you find the person that loves you just as you are, that accepts your fears and demons and gives you the strength to face them and overcome them, if you find the one person that can make you stronger and better than you were alone, then letting go of the past and embracing the future becomes easy and the best damn thing you can do . . .__I don't regret any of the things I may have lost but I can't imagine giving up any of the things I have gained."_

When she finally looked into his eyes, she suddenly knew just what everyone had been talking about. It was almost like something inside of her finally settled, and somewhere in her mind she could almost hear 'ah, of course,' in recognition of the feeling. This was right, he was right and she suddenly couldn't think of one reason why she'd fought this for so long. She smiled slowly and moved her hands to his neck.

Booth had seen the play of emotions across her face as they drew part. But they'd been so fast that he couldn't tell what was going on in her mind. And when she put her hands on his neck and pulled his head forward, he was so surprised that he didn't resist. Not that he would have in any case.

And forgetting that they were in the Gate room, surrounded by the squints and military personnel, that included one of the highest ranking officers in the nation and that everything in that room was recorded by at least two cameras, Seeley Booth and Temperance Brennan finally kissed.

**A/N2:** So, what do you think? You like? I hope so; I didn't interrupt them that time. Well, Puppet thinks I can end it here, I told her I have some lose ends I'd like to tie up, what do you think? Should I keep going? It'd be three additional chapters at most, because I pretty much did what I set out to do. Let me know if you'd like to see their talk and the squints go off-world. I am thinking about writing a sequel, I find that I love the relationship and interaction between SG1 and the squint squad; let me know if you have any thoughts about that. Well, I'm off to working Breaking Point now, for any of you that might be interested in that fic. Please let me know what you think!!


	21. Chapter 21

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to keep saying it, thereby depressing myself? I don't own then - none of them, more's the pity.

**A/N:** I know it's been a long time, but with the trip to Boston and then Thanksgiving kept pretty occupied. But, here it is at last!! I hope it was worth the wait. There's no BB action in this one per say but rather other character's reactions to The Kiss. Don't worry, next chapter has already been started and there'll be plenty of BB action in that one! I'm even thinking of adding some smut!! Hope you enjoy! Please, please let me know what you think; let's see if we can get at least as many reviews as the last chapter, shall we??

**Chapter 21 **

"Daniel!!" Vala cried out, as she practically danced her way into Daniel's infirmary room. "You won't believe what I just saw!!!" She told him with a huge grin and eyes dancing.

"What?" He asked with a grin of his own. "Siler fell and broke his nose again?"

"No, silly," Vala answered and lightly slapped his arm, as she perched on the edge of his hospital bed. "That wouldn't be exciting; he breaks something every other week."

"That's true," Daniel agreed with a nod. "So, what was it? And who was it that came through the Gate? And did SG2 and 3 leave to go and try to find Mitchell and Booth?" He finally asked what he'd meant to ask from the start, but had been distracted by her question.

"Well," she said coyly, "that's all part of what I just saw!"

"Ok, then," he said, making a 'come on' motion with his hands. "Tell me!!"

"Well" she said again, drawing out the word and making him exclaim, "Vala!"

"Ok, ok," she gave in, laughing. "SG2 and 3 were ready to go out but didn't need to because that unscheduled activation was Mitchell and Booth coming back."

"Good," Daniel said with a sigh of relief; he'd been worried about those two since the moment he'd woke up. He knew the rest of the base was also worried, but it was different for the members of SG1, they simple weren't used to leaving anyone behind. "Are they ok?"

"Yes," Vala said firmly and quickly enough that he knew it was the truth and not something said only for his benefit. "They're fine; well, somewhat disheveled and smelling rank after almost three days off world, but other than that, they're fine. They're going through their post-mission check up right now."

"That's good," he repeated with a nod and then with curious eyes asked, "So, what was it that you saw? Come on, tell me," he added, as he nudged her with his leg.

"Are you sure you want to know?" she asked, her eyes shining.

"Yes, Vala," he answered firmly, knowing how much she liked to tease him. "I'd really like to know."

"Ok, if you're sure," she told him, sounding almost reluctant.

"Vala!!" he cried out, exasperated. No one could get to him faster than her.

"Fine, fine," she laughed and shifted on the bed to begin telling him the really interesting part. "When Walter finally confirmed that it was Mitchell's IDC and Jack opened the Iris, we all turned to see them walk through the Gate. We all cheered and yelled when we saw that they were safe and unharmed. Everyone but Brennan that is," she added with a sly grin.

"Was she in the Gate room when they came through?" he asked, somewhat surprised.

"Oh, yes," Vala answered, nodding her head vigorously. "She and her team were all there; she was in Jack's office and then in the Gate room the minute the forty-eight hours were up."

"Of course, she was," Daniel said with a nod. "Why am I surprised?"

"Don't know," Vala said with a shrug. "She did what anyone of us would."

"Yes, she did," he agreed. "So, was that it? That can't have been what you saw that had you so excited."

"No, that wasn't it," she confirmed. "If you'd be quiet for a while I could tell you what it was!" she admonished him.

"I'm quiet, I'm quiet, see," he said, as he mimicked locking his lips and motioned with his hands for her to continue.

"Well, while Mitchell looked around the room, as he walked down the ramp and made eye contact with almost everyone, Booth just looked around until he found Brennan. When he did and their eyes met, well you could see the sparks flying between them. Then they started walking towards each other and it was as if no one else existed in the room but them, you know?"

"Yeah," Daniel said with a nod. "I know exactly what you mean." They shared a loving look before Vala smiled and went on with the story.

"Before long," Vala said with a grin, "she was running towards him and when she reached him she threw her arms his neck and held on like she wouldn't let go. When she pulled back, she stared into his eyes for few minutes before she pulled his head down to hers and planted one on him."

"Planted one on him?" he asked, with a curious frown.

"Yes, you know," she said, as she leaned closer to him, "like this," and with that she pulled his head closer to hers and kissed him long and hard.

"Oh," he said, when they pulled apart due to lack of oxygen, "like that?" he asked, a bit dazed when he leaned back on his pillows. "Wait," he said a few seconds later, when the fog that kissing Vala always brought, cleared up. He sat up straighter and asked, "Dr. Brennan kissed Booth, in the Gate room, in front of everyone?"

"Yep," Vala said with a grin, as she nodded her head so that her pigtails bounced up and down. "She did. She gave him a big, huge kiss in front of everyone and the cameras too."

"How about that?" he asked with a grin, as she snuggled into his side for a bit of cuddling.

"I told you there was something there," she told him playfully.

"I know you did," he told her in a patient tone – a tone he'd used a lot since he met her. "I know." He then kissed her forehead and pulled her closer to him. They stayed there quietly for a few moments, enjoying just being together.

-----------------------------------

"How're you feeling?" Jack asked, as he walked into the cubicle in the infirmary where Booth was buttoning his shirt, after Janet had given him a clean bill of health.

"I'm fine, sir," Booth said, standing at attention and saluting. "Thank you."

"At ease," Jack said, as he stopped by the foot of the bed. "For God's sake, there's no need for salutes in here."

"Yes, sir," Booth agreed, with a sharp nod, as he stood at ease.

Jack sighed and gave up trying to get the younger man to relax.

"So," he said, as he leaned his hip on the bed's footboard, "that was some kiss in the Gate room, wasn't it?"

"Ah, sir," Booth said, as lost his rigid stance and rubbed the back of his neck, "about that. I know it was a break of protocol and I'm sorry . . ."

"Don't worry about it," Jack said, making a 'doesn't matter' gesture. "It's not the first time someone's kissed in the Gate room and things being what they are on this base, it probably won't be the last."

"No, probably not," Booth murmured and then, because he couldn't help himself, he asked, "Who else kissed in the Gate room?"

"That's not important," Jack said, with a wave of his hand. "Besides, I'm sure you'll hear all about it soon enough. The whole mountain loves to gossip."

"That's true," Booth said with a nod.

"Plus," Jack added, as he pinched his nose, as if to push out some not so pleasant memories. "Everything that happens in that darn room is recorded." He added with a grimace.

"Yes, it is," Booth agreed, with a wince of his own, as he realized how those few minutes on tape could be use to tease him later on.

"But that wasn't what I wanted to talk to you about," Jack said, with a shake of his head, as if he was shaking off some good and some not very good memories.

"Sir," Booth said, once again straightening to attention. "About the mission . . ."

"No," Jack said, putting his hand up and stopping Booth's attempt at giving a report. "That's not what I want to talk to you about either. But first, did Doc Frazier clear you?"

"Yes, sir," Booth answered, doing his best to disguise his curiosity but not doing a very good job. "She did."

"Good," Jack said, nodding. "That's good."

"Yes, sir," Booth agreed, still not knowing where the conversation was going. "About the mission," he began again, falling back on military procedure in the unfamiliar situation, but was interrupted once more.

"We'll talk about the mission during the debrief tomorrow morning," Jack told him.

"Tomorrow morning?" Booth asked, now even more confused. "I thought all the debriefing happened right after the medical checkups?"

"Yes, it usually works that way," Jack agreed, as he shuffled his feet and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "But you guys have been missing for over forty-eight hours. I thought you deserved a few hours to relax and rest."

"That's nice," Booth said, tilting his head in thanks. "Thank you, sir."

"Yes, well," Jack said, as he shifted and straightened from the bed, "you have a conversation to get to, don't you?"

"Ah," Booth said, as his eyes widened in surprised. This was not what he was expecting at all. "Well, I . . ."

"I know I don't know you very well," Jack began, when Booth trailed off, evidently not knowing what to say. "And that I'm probably not the best person to give relationship advice, but I'm still going to do it."

Booth was nodding and mouthing the words along with Jack. Somehow, he wasn't that surprised anymore since that was practically the same thing Cameron had told him.

"I read your service file," Jack said and once again surprised Booth, but this surprise was more unnerving than the one before.

"You read . . .?" Booth repeated, sounding dazed, "most of it is classified."

"Yes," Jack agreed, "but I'm a Major General and part of the Joint Chiefs. Do you really think that I was going to have someone on my base and not know everything there was to know about them?"

"No, of course not," Booth said with a sigh as he realized how true that was. "Do the others . . .?"

"No," Jack said, shaking his head. "Danny-boy is a civilian and as he just found out that means there are some things he's not cleared to know. And Sam and Mitchell know the non-classified version. Though, I'm sure they probably have a very good idea about the rest."

"Ok," Booth said, nodding. There was nothing he could do about that. "Bones and the squints don't really know and . . ."

"No one will hear anything about this from me," Jack assured him. "I don't talk about classified information."

"Of course you don't," Booth said hastily, as it seemed to him, Jack sounded a bit insulted. "It's just that . . ."

"It's just that I'm talking about it now," Jack finished the sentence and Booth nodded. "I don't really know why I'm here." And that was the God's honest truth. He had already had a heartfelt conversation with Dr. Brennan, what the hell was he doing now, initiating another one with Booth? "Except for the fact that reading your file was almost like reading my own."

"Sir?" Booth asked.

"A few years later and with different names and places," Jack explained, as he shifted and leaned on the footboard again. He crossed his feet and looked at the wall, as he got lost in memories. "But underneath, it's all the same." With a shrug and a shake of his head, Jack turned back to look at Booth.

"I may have just met you, but in some ways, I know you better than anyone could," Jack told him, in a serious tone he rarely used. "I know you in a way no one that hasn't lived through the same experiences can. I know the kind of nightmares you get, the faces that pop up in your mind when you least expect them or want them, and I know the guilt, and the fear and the sadness that you feel. I know because I've gone through and felt the same things.

"And because I do know all those things, I'm not here to tell you that you should let all that go; that you were just following orders, that you were doing your job or even that because you did what you did, hundreds, thousands, maybe even millions of lives were saved. I know you know all that; hell, you even believe all that – otherwise you wouldn't have done it. And it's really annoying to hear time and time again, isn't it?"

"Yes, sir," Booth answered, quietly but firmly. This was the first time he'd talked about this with someone who actually understood what he'd done.

"So, I'm not going to tell you any of that. What I am going to tell you is that life is meant to be lived and enjoyed; and that love is the greatest gift you can receive in this life. And if God saw fit to put love in your path, who are you to say no to it? Only a fool returns an exceptional gift when it's freely given. And you don't strike me as a fool, are you?" Jack asked, looking at Booth intently.

"No, I'm not, sir," Booth answered just as firmly as before.

"Good, I didn't think you were," Jack said, nodding. He then once again looked at the wall and seemed to lose himself in his thoughts and Booth knew better than to interrupt. Finally, he gave a heavy sigh and started talking, "We've done some horrible things that no one should be called to do. But they needed to be done and we were the ones that had to do it. And whether our actions saved hundreds or millions of lives, it doesn't change the facts. We have blood on our hands," he looked down as he turned his hands in front of him. "It might not be the blood of innocents but it's still human blood. And that should never be taken lightly; it should never be easy. It should always come at a steep price and it should always haunt us." He paused for a minute before turning back to look Booth in the eyes, and Booth could see the same pain and anguish that he saw in his mirror, reflected in the general's eyes.

"I used to pray that the nightmares go away until I realized that the minute they do, I become like the people we were sent to stop," Jack said and Booth found that he was almost holding his breath; he realized that somehow this might be one of the most important conversations he'd ever have. "We are not God, but we played God, and that can't and shouldn't be ignored or forgotten. I'm not saying that we should live our lives tormented; what I'm saying is that the nightmares and the guilt have a time, place and purpose and we need to recognize that and accept it. But most importantly, we need to confine them to that time, place and purpose. We can't let them rule our lives.

"You and I have found different ways to deal with our demons and that's as it should be since we're different people," Jack added with a shrug. "And yet, somehow we're both still trying to protect the innocent; Sam would say it's because we are good men. I don't know if I'd go that far; but I do think that we deserve to be happy and we deserve to love and be loved. And if we find love, then we'd be idiots to turn our backs on it, wouldn't we?"

"Yes, sir," Booth answered when he saw Jack's expectant face.

"Yes," Jack repeated, nodding. "I don't know about you, but I'm not an idiot. Of course, I had to be hit in the head and kicked in the ass before I realized I wasn't an idiot. I'm hoping that since you're younger than I am, you won't need that much hitting before you realize the same thing."

"No, sir," Booth answered, solemnly, though he was fighting a grin and wondering just what kind of hit in the head and kick in the ass Sam had given the cantankerous general before this one woke up to the fact he wasn't an idiot.

"Good, good," Jack said, rubbing his hands together. And with his good deed for the year – no, make that decade, he had after all already talked to Brennan too, Jack decided that it was time to go. If the younger man still messed up, it wasn't for lack of good advice. "Ok, then. That's all I wanted to say. You're off duty until tomorrow at 0900 hours. I'll see you then," Jack said, as he started to walk towards the curtains.

"Yes, sir," Booth said. "Thank you, sir," he called out just as Jack reached the curtains. Jack paused and turned his head. When their eyes met, a multitude of thoughts and feelings were shared and a bond that would last a lifetime was forged. Jack nodded his head and left, leaving behind a very thoughtful Army Ranger.

----------------------------

"I can't believe it!!" Angela said for the hundredth time, still in shock. "She kissed him!!" It ended on an almost squeal and she was practically bouncing on her seat. "She walked right up to him and she kissed him!"

"Yes, Ange," Hodgins said as he took a bite of his sandwich. "We know; we were all there." The whole team had been stunned into silence by the actions of the anthropologist. They had been so surprised that Brennan had been able to go with Booth to the infirmary without being stopped by Angela for a complete and throughout discussion of said kiss.

When Angela had finally reacted, she had wanted to go after the two partners but Hodgins had managed to hold her back until she'd come to her senses. For lack of anything better to do, they had decided to go to the infirmary for an early dinner. That had been forty minutes ago and Angela was still not over her shock.

"But she kissed him," Angela exclaimed again. "In front of everyone and with the cameras running, she walked up and kissed him!!"

"We know," Hodgins said, patiently, as he took a sip of his drink. Camille hid a smirk, while Zack tilted his head and studied Angela as if she were a bone malformation. He had been surprised by Dr. Brennan's actions but was fascinated by Angela's reactions to it.

"Why do you keep repeating that Dr. Brennan kissed Agent Booth?" Zack finally asked what he'd been wondering. "We were all there; we all saw it. How can repeating it make it more real than actual seeing it? And why are you so surprised? Wasn't this what you were always waiting for?"

"Yes, it was, Zack," Angela answered with a frown. "I just always thought that it would be Booth that made the first move."

"Really?" Hodgins asked, as he leaned back on his chair, with his drink in his hand, "I thought it was pretty much in character for both of them, actually."

"You did?" Angela asked, taken aback, while Camille and Zack looked interested in Hodgins' opinions.

"Sure," Hodgins answered with a shrug. "That's how their whole relationship's been."

"What are you talking about?" Angela asked, with a confused frown. "Booth's the one that's always pushed the boundaries in their relationship."

"Yes," Hodgins agreed, "he might be the one that pushed the boundaries, but she's the one that makes the move for more intimacy. He might be the one that opened the door, but it's always been her that takes that final step."

"I don't know, Jack," Angela told him, dubiously. "Give me an example of what you mean."

"Ummm," Jack said, as he shifted in his seat and took another sip of his drink. "Ok, let's see. You guys remember that time Kenton kidnapped Brennan?"

"Of course," Angela said with a nod. "And Booth rescued her; he broke out of the hospital to do it."

"Yep," Hodgins agreed, as he leaned forward and put down his cup. "He did. And when he got there, he put her arms around his neck. But that was to get her out of the hook. It was Brennan that collapsed and clung to him. And remember at our first wedding? It was Brennan that hugged him, when he told her about her dad and how he had let himself be arrested instead of leaving her again."

"Ok," Angela said slowly, as she leaned forward and rested her elbows on the table. "You might have a point . . ."

"Of course I do," Hodgins said simply. "And who does she go to whenever she has a problem or whenever she feels down? It's always Booth," he turned to Angela and with a shrug, he added, "sorry, babe, but he's the one she goes to when she needs someone."

"I know," Angela said with a small smile. "I've been replaced as best friend and that's as it should be."

"Yes," Hodgins agreed. "Booth may have created the circumstances but it's always been her that has taken that step. Knowing her and her past, it was the only thing that he could do. That final step had to be taken by her and he knew that. It all seems very in character to me."

"You know," Angela said, after thinking for a few moments, "you're right. I guess it is in character after all. And she did tell me a few days ago that he told her she would have to let him know when she was ready for the next stage in their relationship."

"See," Hodgins told her with a grin. "He's always known that he had to let her make that move."

"But," Angela said, as she thought through everything he had said in the last few minutes, "I thought you said Brennan was responsible . . ."

"No," Hodgins said, shaking his head and interrupting her. "I said that she was the one that had to take this step, not that she was responsible for it." When he saw that she looked somewhat confused, he added, "Babe, for an artist that's trained to look beneath the surface, you are sure missing the point here."

"Then what is the point, Jack?" she asked, getting exasperated, while Zack and even Camille looked on with confusion.

"The point is," Hodgins explained, "that while Brennan was the one that kissed him, how do you think she got to that point? The Brennan we knew three years ago, even a year and a half ago, wouldn't have even thought of doing something like that."

"No, she wouldn't," Angela agreed, "but she's grown, expanded her horizons, and opened herself up to new situations."

"Yes," Hodgins nodded, "and who's responsible for that? I know you tried, Ange, but it was Booth that really got to her; it was him that got him to see there was more to life than the lab and science. It was Booth that has been gently, subtly and inexorably guiding her, nudging her to where he wanted her."

"You make that sound," Angela said, in a bemused voice, as Zack and Camille exchanged glances, "like a chess strategy or a military campaign."

"Well," Hodgins said with a chuckle, "maybe because it's kind of one. I mean, if we've learned anything this week, it's that Booth still thinks, and probably always will think like a military man. He's not only a Ranger but a sniper – a hunter; he knows that sometimes you can't go after your prey; you have to make the prey come to you."

"I don't think," Zack said with a frown, "Dr. Brennan would appreciate knowing you're referring to her as 'prey'. In fact, she'd probably beat you to the ground if she found out."

"But she's not going to find out, is she?" Hodgins asked, glaring at each one in turn. Zack shifted his eyes and murmured a 'no'; Camille shook her head with a small smile and Angela was too busy thinking to pay attention to Hodgins' attempt at intimidation.

"You think she knows?" Angela asked.

"Brennan? That Booth maneuvered her?" Hodgins asked, as he shifted in his chair. "No, I don't think so," he said, shaking his head, "after all, you didn't."

"Yeah," Angela agreed with a nod, "you're right. She won't have a clue."

"I don't think," Camille spoke up for the first time, as she pushed her tray away and leaned back in her chair, "you guys are giving Dr. Brennan enough credit. She knows Booth better than any of us do and she's more perceptive than you think. I wouldn't be surprised if she has a very good idea of what's gone on – even if it's deep down and she never admits it out loud."

"You think?" Angela asked, thoughtfully and Camille just shrugged and nodded.

"To be fair," Hodgins added, "I don't think Booth actually planned anything. I think most of it was him acting on his instincts, which have been honed by those years in the military."

"Either way," Angela pointed out, "he's good. To get Brennan to this point, he has to be very good."

"Yes," Hodgins said with a smirk, "he's very good," he said in a tone of voice that said he was just as good too.

Angela noted how he was gloating but decided he had the right. He had noticed something that had completely escaped her notice. But he was a man and had become very close to Booth lately, she supposed it was only natural that he had been able to perceive an angle that she'd missed. Still, it wasn't good to let him get too big a head.

"I told you they'd be a real couple soon, didn't I?" she asked, just to remind him that she too could read people.

"Yes, you did," Hodgins agree, but Angela could tell he was still proud of himself. With a small smile, she decided to let him gloat a bit longer. She'll make sure it doesn't get out of hand.

----------------------------------

"Hey, what're you doing?" Jack asked, as he walked into Sam's lab.

"Hey," Sam answered, smiling the smile she reserved for him. "I'm going over the information we got from Ba'al's computer," she told him, as she turned from her computer and looked at him. "I thought it would be a good idea to start studying it. We might find something useful buried in it."

"Yes," Jack nodded. "That's probably a good idea." He started to walk and pick up the different instruments that she had around the lab. "Never know what you might find," he said, in such an absentminded manner that she knew he had something else on his mind.

"Ok, Jack," she said, as she stood up and took away the doohickey he was playing with. "What is it? What have you done now?" She asked, as she leaned back on her work table, crossed her ankles and searched his eyes.

"What?" He asked, surprised, as his eyes jumped from where he was studying his fingers tapping on the table, to her eyes. "I haven't done anything!! Why would you assume I have?"

"Oh, I don't know," Sam said with a smirk. "Maybe because you're here, without a reason, and aren't really interested in what I might have found in Ba'al's computer."

"Have you found anything?" he asked, for the first time sounding interested.

"No, not really," Sam admitted with a sigh. "Not yet, but I'm sure I'll find something."

"I'm sure you will too," he said, as he started pacing again.

"Ok, Jack," Sam said, seriously. "What is going on? And don't tell me nothing because I know you and I know something's up."

"It's nothing," Jack started to deny, but when he saw Sam's face, he added, "much. I just had a heart-to-heart," he said with a grimace, "with Booth. And I guess I'm just . . ."

"You talked to Booth?" Sam asked when he trailed off, "about the kiss?"

"Yes," Jack answered with a nod, "and a few other things," he added simply and Sam nodded. She might not have had access to Booth's classified file but she knew enough to know that the two men had a lot in common.

"It brought back some memories, huh?" she asked, as she walked up to where he was standing by the other bench and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Yes," Jack said quietly. "I . . . I told him that those memories serve a purpose and we need to accept that," he told her with a snort. "It's a lot easier said than done, believe me."

"I know, Jack, I know," she told him gently, as she squeezed his shoulder, before wrapping her arm around his waist and resting her chin on his shoulder. "But you're both strong men and neither of you is a stranger to doing that which is hard. You both do what needs to be because that's what you do."

"I guess," Jack answered with a shrug. "I just hope he heard me and that he won't need eight years to figure it out."

"I'm sure he won't," Sam said, as she squeezed his waist and gave him a kiss on the neck. "He has your experience to learn from, after all. I'm sure he'll figure it out and if he doesn't, well, you did the best you could. That's all anyone can ask and I'm very proud of you for making the intent."

"Yeah?" Jack asked, with a naughty grin, shaking off the old memories and turning to hug his wife, "you're proud of me, huh? Does that mean you'll leave early and come home with me and show me how much you're proud of me?"

"Ummm," Sam said, as she turned her head to look at her computer, before turning back to Jack's hopeful face. "Sure, why not? Let's go home early have a nice dinner and then I'll show you just how proud I am of you." She then leaned in and kissed him long and hard. "That's just a sample," she whispered against his lips before she kissed him again. "Now, hold that thought while I put my stuff away and we'll get out of here."

Jack nodded as he tried to catch his breath, while she turned off her equipment and put everything away. Less than five minutes later, a very happy General O'Neill left Colonel Carter's lab hand in hand with said colonel, who was wearing a naughty smile that matched the general's.

**A/N2: **So, there's a bit more of SG1 in this chapter but I think it works and it's dedicated to all those of you that are fan of both shows and for blodwin who asked for more Jack and Sam. I know it's not a lot but I hope you like it!!


	22. Chapter 22

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to keep saying it, thereby depressing myself? I don't own then - none of them, more's the pity.

**A/N:** Ok, so I was good, wasn't I? Two chapters in less than a week!! I hope you appreciate it. As promised, this chapter it's full of BB sweetness!! It even has some smut. I don't know how I did, but last time I forgot to thank all those that reviewed and Pup, my wonderful beta. So, please accept my humble apologies for the oversight and know that I am indeed very grateful for all the wonderful reviews chapter 20 received and chapter 21. I also want to thank Puppet for her invaluable help! Ok, enjoy and please let me know what you think!! I have lots of fluff, so how giving me back some feedback? Please?

**Chapter 22**

"So," Brennan said, as Booth walked out of the alcove, where he'd been examined a few moments after Jack had left. "What did the doctor say?"

"She said I was fine," Booth said with a shrug, "and General O'Neill just told me that the post mission debrief is postponed until tomorrow, so…"

"Yes?" she asked, as they shifted to allow an orderly to go by. They froze when their arms touched but didn't move away from each other.

"Maybe we should go somewhere and talk?" Booth said, as the orderly walked away.

"That's a good idea," Brennan said nodding, "ummm, Vala told me we could go to her and Daniel's place, if we need a quiet place to talk."

"You know where that is?" he asked, after a few moments of contemplation. He wasn't completely comfortable going to someone else's place when they weren't there but he couldn't think of a better place to go. Their quarters didn't seem like a good idea and a car was too uncomfortable. They could go back to the top of the mountain but, as they already found out, it is not a very private place and they could be interrupted at any moment. And this was one conversation he didn't intend to have interrupted.

"She gave me the address, directions and the key," she said with a shrug as she held up the keys and a piece of paper. "I'm sure you can find it, can't you?"

"Yeah," Booth said as he took the paper, "sure, shouldn't be a problem."

"Good," Brennan said with another nod, "then, shall we go?"

"Yeah," Booth said, as he waved her forward and then turned and followed her out of the infirmary. "Let's go."

By silent agreement, the partners talked about everything and anything but the kiss. During the trip to Daniel's apartment, they talked about Brennan and the squint's latest finds and Booth told her a bit about his adventures in the alien forest. By the time they arrived at Daniel's place, they had relaxed and recaptured that comfortable mood that was the norm whenever they were together.

They fell silent as they walked the final step to the front door. Booth took the keys from Brennan and opened the door. He ushered her in and then closed and locked the door. Brennan walked towards the balcony and opened the drapes before she turned and looked around. The room was crammed full of books and artifacts, some of which she recognized and some which look like they'd come from an alien world. Giving what the owner of the place did for a living, that was an actual possibility. Though, Brennan wondered how he ever got the clearance to take alien artifacts off of the mountain.

Booth also looked around the living room and wondered if every anthropologist/archeologist/squint's homes looked the same. Full of books and weird artifacts and with that book smell all over it.

"So," he said, as he walked further into the room and stopped a few feet away from where she was standing. He pushed his hands into his pockets and rocked back on his feet, not knowing where to start. But he needn't have worried, Brennan had had awhile to think things through and there was something she needed to say.

"I was so scared," she told him softly, looking into his eyes, "when Sam, Vala, Daniel and Teal'c walked through the Gate without you, I was as scared as I'd ever been. Those two days when I didn't know where you were or even if you were alive, were the hardest of my life. I," she paused to take a deep breath, as her eyes shifted before coming back to his, "don't know what I would have done if you hadn't come back."

"Bones," Booth said gently, as he took a step and lightly cupped her cheek. "I'm sorry. I knew that you'd worry but Daniel was badly hurt and I just," he paused and shook his head, "there was nothing else we could do. We had to provide the distraction so that Daniel could get to the Gate and back home safely and quickly."

"I know," Brennan said with a nod, "being the man you are there was nothing else for you to do." She shrugged and added with a half smile, "Angela commented not long ago that it wasn't easy caring for honorable men. I didn't know how right she was at the time."

"Bones," Booth said earnestly, as he took his hand away from her cheek. "I'm so sorry you were worried. The last thing I wanted to do was worry you or hurt you, but given the circumstances, I would do it all over again. But you have to believe that I'll come back – that I'll always come back."

"Unless you can't," she told him and saw his face go blank.

"Bones," he said, heavily, "I promise you that I'll always do everything in my power to come home. But you're right; there are no guarantees in life. I'll always try my best but . . ."

"But you can't promise me you won't die," Brennan finished for him.

"No," Booth said simply. "I can't promise that."

"Just as you can't promise," she continued, "that you won't put the safety of others ahead of yours; that you won't put yourself at risk to protect those weaker than you."

"No," Booth said again with a sigh, "I can't promise that either." He looked defeated all of a sudden, as if he knew where she was headed, knew he wasn't going to like it but there was nothing he could do to stop it.

"And I wouldn't want you to," Brennan told him and managed to once more surprise him. At his stunned look, she smiled softly and cupping his cheek with her hand, told him, "protecting those weaker than you, putting yourself at risk so others can be safe is what you do, Booth. To ask you to do anything else would be to ask you to stop being you, to stop doing that which makes you such an extraordinary person. How can I ask you to change that which I most admire about you?"

"Temperance," Booth breathed, almost undone by her eloquent argument. Sometimes, he forgot that her command of the English language extended to more than just scientific jargon. "I . . . don't know what to say," he told her, as he put his hand on top of hers and pressed it closer to his cheek.

"Promise me that you'll be careful," she urged. "Promise me that you won't take any unnecessary chances – because I know you'll take those you deem necessary."

"Bones," he said with a smile, "I'm not the reckless one in this relationship. I am trained for the missions I'm sent on and I know how to carry them out. I never take unnecessary or uncalculated risks."

"I guess I'll have to be happy with that, won't I?" she asked with a grimace.

"Bones," he said, as he brought the hand that was at his cheek, down, to his chest. He studied her fingers as his played with them. "I know caring for military personnel is not easy. But you have to remember," he told her, as he brought his eyes back to hers. "That after this mission is over, I'm going back to DC with you and we'll go back to solving our cases. My being back in the military is temporary. You don't have to worry about my being deployed because I'm not going anywhere."

"You can't promise me that either, Booth," she told him with a gentle smile. "I know that you have no intention of going anywhere," she said when he opened his mouth to protest. "But, unfortunately, you're not the master of your fate when you signed on with the armed forces, are you?"

"No," he answered, reluctantly. "You're not. You pretty much have to do what they tell you. But I'm not in active duty," he insisted.

"I know," she agreed. "Unfortunately, even if you're not back in the military permanently, you're still an FBI agent."

"Yes, I am," he said, taken aback at that comment.

"I'm not asking you to change," she hurried to assure him. "I told you, I would never do that. Why would I, when your sense of honor, duty and loyalty are some of the reasons I fell in love with you?"

"Temperance," he breathed, as he cupped her left cheek with his right hand and played with her hair with his left one. "I love you too," he said, as he leaned forward and kissed her.

Brennan gripped his collar and leaned forward to meet him halfway. If their first kiss had been filled with the desperate relief of two people who'd thought they wouldn't see each other again, their second kiss was filled with the tender sweetness of two people who just realized they love each other.

When they came up for air, Booth rested his forehead on hers and they took a few seconds to regain their breath. He rubbed his thumb along her jaw line while she slid her hand up into his hair.

"Temperance," he repeated, pulling his head a few inches back. "Are you sure?" he asked, as he studied her eyes, "really sure? Because if we start down this road, I . . . we won't be able to go back."

"I know, Bo . . . Seeley," she said, firmly, smiling as his eyes widened at her use of his first name; but given the circumstances, she thought it was only right. "I don't want to go back. I am sure; I wouldn't have kissed you in the Gate room or tell you that I love you if I wasn't. I'm not in the habit of saying anything I'm not sure of."

"I know," Booth said with a small smile. "I know but this . . . this is a huge step. And I need to be sure that _you_ are sure. I know you and I know this can't be easy and I . . ."

"You're right," she said, putting two fingers on his lips to silence him. "At least half right, which by implication means that you're also half wrong." Booth chuckled and shook his head at her lecture tone. She smiled and continued, "Yes, the idea of being with you and then being alone again . . ." She shook her head before letting go of him, taking a few steps back and walking towards the balcony doors.

Booth watched her, as she wrapped her arms around her waist and though every instinct told him to go and comfort her, he knew she needed to do this on her own.

"When my parents left and then Russ," she began in a calm voice, as she stared out the balcony doors, "I found out how fragile and ephemeral life can be and how the notion of security is little more than an illusion - a wonderful illusion, sure, but an illusion that can easily be ripped away nonetheless.

"And when I was in the System, I found out that the only way to be safe was to disregard all the pretty lies kids are told, to always face the hard reality and above all to rely only on myself – to never depend on anyone else because no one ever stays. And that the best way to avoid the pain and disappointment is to never expect anything from anyone."

"That's a very lonely way to live," Booth couldn't resist saying, as his heart again ached for all she'd suffered.

"I guess so," she agreed with a shrug, "but it worked and I was, if not happy, at least satisfied with how my life was going. And then I met Angela, who decided she was going to be my friend and wouldn't hear anything to the contrary." She smiled as she remembered the time she first met the artist.

"I couldn't have kept her out of my life even if I'd wanted to," she admitted. "But it wasn't so hard to let her in at the end. She's fun and easy going and undemanding. She enriched my life without asking anything in return. And then I met you," she added, with a small smile, as she turned to look at him.

"And every notion of what I thought I wanted in life went out the window," she told him, as she leaned against the door and watched him watch her. "At first you were so arrogant and stubborn and full of yourself, that it was easy to tell myself you were just another annoying alpha male who would soon go back the way he'd came. But you surprised me – you turned out to be an honest, loyal, dedicated, smart, open minded and thoughtful man who, after he got to know me, never hesitated to give me the respect and support I'd earned.

"And without my knowing how, you penetrated every area of my life and became such a part of it, that now, I don't know what I'd do if you weren't in it. And yes, realizing that and accepting that is hard. Because accepting it means accepting the possibility that just like you came into my life you can just as easily leave it again."

"Temperance," Booth said, as he took a couple of steps closer to her, "I would never leave you."

"Not willingly, no," she agreed with a soft smile, "you wouldn't, I know that. But as we just discussed, sometimes you have to do things that are out of your control; things that you wouldn't choose to do." She paused for a minute, before she added thoughtfully, "caring about you was perhaps one of the easiest things I've ever done. Accepting I love you and would like to spend the rest of my life with you also meant accepting the fact that someday you might not be here – however much you might want to be. And _that_ might be one of the hardest things I'll ever do."

"Bones, I . . ." Booth started to say, but she shook her head and closed the gap between them. She once again put her fingers on his lips to silence him and then slid that hand to his neck while her other hand played with the collar of his t-shirt – all the while thinking how liberating it was to be able to touch him at will.

"I'm not done, Seeley," she said tenderly, and he had to swallow a groan at what his given name, coming from her lips in that tone, did to his body. "Acceptance became much easier once I realized that that line you talked about a few years ago had already been crossed – by both of us and that there was _no_ going back. Whether we take the final step into intimacy or not, whether we become a couple or remain 'just partners' won't change how I'd feel if anything were to happen to you – if you were to no longer be a part of my life. That was more than proven these past two days." She paused for a minute, as she remembered how she'd felt waiting for news, but she shook her head and continued.

"Talking to General O'Neill and Sam and Vala," she said and had him once again blink his eyes in surprise. If he had been shocked that General O'Neill had talked to him about his personal relationship, he was completely flabbergasted to learn he'd also talked to Brennan. "It helped me come to terms with my feelings," she continued, oblivious to Booth's surprise. "They helped me see that as scared as I am to lose you after I've had you, I am even more scared to lose you before I've had you at all. Memories may be cold comfort but they are a hell of a lot warmer than regrets can ever be.

"So, am I sure?" she asked, going back to his question. "Yes, I am sure; and yes, I am also scared of losing you. But I'm done letting fear and the past rule my life. Life doesn't come with a guarantee, the best with can hope is to live our lives with those we love enjoying each moment we have together." With that she leaned forward and gave him a brief kiss. When she pulled back, she grinned and told him, "Remember when you said a few weeks ago that I should let you know when I was ready for the next step in our relationship? Well," she added, when he nodded, "this is me letting you know that I'm ready. I guess the question now is whether you are?" And with that, the ball was firmly tossed to his court.

Booth, amazed at how much the woman in front of him had changed from that stand-offish, everything is logic, emotionless doctor he'd met more than three years ago, took a moment to gather his thoughts before he answered her.

"Temperance," he said, finally and it seemed to her that he was relishing being able to say her name. "I was fascinated with you from the moment we met. I fell in lust with you, at least, I realized I was in lust with you, when you challenged me at the gun range during the Cleo Eller case. I realized I felt more than just lust when I learned that Kenton had taken you hostage. I knew how far I'd go to make sure you were safe and happy when I flew down to New Orleans to help you without thinking twice about it. I found out what my life would be like without you when the gravedigger buried you alive. But I don't think I realized I was in love with you until you asked me whether you should go with Sully, sailing around the world." 

"But you told me to go," she protested, bringing up something that had always bothered and puzzled her. If he cared so much for her, why was it so easy for him to tell her to go?

"Loving someone means wanting them to be happy," he explained. "And at that time, I didn't think there was a chance for us. At the very least," he corrected himself, "I knew you weren't ready to accept that there was even a possibility of an 'us'."

She opened her mouth to argue but when Booth raised an eyebrow in challenge, she closed it. He was right and they both knew it; there was no point in arguing about it.

"I don't think I was ever so relieved in my life as I was when I went to that marina and saw you waving him good bye." He told her and she could tell by the look in his eyes how hard it had been for him to stay back and let her make her own decision. Knowing how much of an action person he was, she could only imagine the tremendous amount of control he'd had to exert over himself to stay back and not demand she stay.

"You told me that everything happens eventually," she said softly, remembering.

"And it does," he agreed, running his knuckles down her cheek.

"But why didn't you ever do or say anything?" she asked, when she saw that he was leaning in to kiss her again. She had nothing against kissing him, in fact, she was all for kissing him again, but she knew there were some things that needed to be discussed first.

"Because you weren't ready," he said, and his eyes followed his fingers, as they played with curls that were lying on her shoulder. "And I knew you weren't. And," he added, looking into her eyes, "because I wasn't ready." She had been completely honest with him and he could do no less.

"Hell," he said with a grunt, "for the longest time I wasn't even ready to admit I felt anything for you beyond the feelings one has towards his partner. And then when I couldn't deny it to myself anymore, I convinced myself that I didn't and that you couldn't feel the same way."

"But then," she asked, confused, "why did you tell me that everything happens eventually?"

"Wishful thinking?" he asked, with a small grin, but she just looked back at him, waiting for an answer. "What do you want me to tell you, Bones? In a way, it was wishful thinking. Thinking you would never feel for me what I felt for you didn't stop me from wishing you would. Or from imagining you did."

"And yet," she pointed out again, "you never acted on it."

"No," he said, shaking his head. "Because I always convinced myself of the opposite before I gathered the nerve to do anything. To be fair here, though, you _were_ never ready."

"Maybe not," she agreed with a nod, "but it sounds to me like you weren't either."

"No," he nodded. "I wasn't."

"And you are now?" she pressed, because just as he had needed to know she was ready, she too needed to be sure that he was.

"Yes," he said firmly, and quickly, and she knew he was telling the truth. "I think we've both been ready for a while now, but neither has had the guts to notice." He paused to see what she thought of that and she nodded her agreement even as she grimaced at the truth of it.

"You, maybe more than almost anyone else," he continued, after giving her a quick kiss to erase the grimace, "know that living with what I' had to do as a Ranger is not easy. That it weights on my conscious and affects how I see myself and how I live my life."

"Your catholic upbringing," she said, nodding, "has probably increased your sense of guilt and has convinced you that you don't deserve to be happy until you right all the wrongs you've done. And that if you can't right them, you don't deserve to be happy at all." She finished and looked at him for confirmation of her hypothesis and he just looked at her, bemused at how easily she changed into lecture mode.

"Bones," he told her with a shake of his head, "why don't we leave my religious beliefs out of this discussion?" She opened her mouth to argue, but one look at his set face and she decided that it was not worth pursuing. She nodded and he continued, "Good. Now whether or not Catholic guilt played a role, I'm not sure. But it is true that I didn't think I was quite deserving of happiness. After all the lives I'd taken and all the pain I caused, I guessed I thought that I deserved to be punished by not having that which I wanted most."

"But you were doing your duty," Brennan said in his defense, interrupting him, "and you saved countless lives in the process! Why should you be punished for that?"

"I know, Bones, I know I was only doing my duty," he said with a sigh. As General O'Neill had said earlier, he knew all of that. He wouldn't have been able to do his duty if he didn't, but that didn't make things any easier. "That, however, does not change the facts. It does not take away the quilt or the memories and it doesn't mean that I didn't feel the need for punishment. And maybe it shouldn't, you know? Maybe that's the kind of thing that should always be remembered, that should always weigh on a person. I don't know," he added with a shrug.

"What I do know," he continued, "is that I love you and that I want to spend the rest of my live with you too. Whatever penance I might have to pay because of my deeds, I'll pay, but I don't think they'd include letting you go. I don't think God would put you in my path, and have us fall in love with each other, if we weren't meant to be together."

"The idea that there's only one person for each of us and that God somehow is responsible for . . ." she said, interrupting him once more.

"Bones," he said slowly, and with great patience, "how about if we agree to disagree? You have science and I have religion and we leave it at that, what do you say?"

"Fine," she answered with a shrug and he had to smile at the fact that she was almost pouting.

"Great," he aid with a nod, "as I was about to say, being back in active duty and talking to some of the guys on the base has also helped me come to terms with my feelings. I don't think I'll ever completely let go or forget what I've done but I think I can live with it, without letting it rule my life. I can accept the gift life has put in front of me and do my best to be happy." He stopped and smiled that smile he reserved for her, the one that never failed to weaken her knees.

"You and Parker," he told her tenderly, as he tangled the fingers of one hand in her hair and put his other arm around her waist, pulling her to him, "are the single most important people in my life. There's nothing I wouldn't do for you – that includes letting go of the past and being ready to embrace life with you. I love you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you and I have no intention of ever letting you go. So, be very sure that this is what you want because once we begin, I'll never stop."

He made it sound almost like a threat and she couldn't help but chuckle at it. There was nothing she wanted less in this life than for Booth to let her go.

"Seeley," she said, with a grin, as she wrapped one arm around his neck and the other around his back, "I don't want you to ever let me go as I have no intention of ever letting _you_ go. And God help anyone that tries to take you away."

"God, Temperance?" Booth asked in a husky voice, as he slowly lowered his head.

"God or whatever they believe in," she answered, in the same husky tones, but it was obvious by the look in her eyes that she couldn't care less about what she was saying. She was much more interested in the fact that in mere seconds they'd be sharing their third kiss.

They say the third time is the charm and both Brennan and Booth would swear as to the truth of that statement. Not that their first two kisses had been bad; no, that wasn't the case at all. They had been great, sweet, life-altering and satisfying; but they had also occurred during very stressful circumstances. Now, that worry and stress was gone; now that they were no longer in the middle of a room filled with military personnel and their team, nor did they have the prospect of an emotional filled talk looming over them.

Safe in the knowledge that they were alone and that no one would interrupt them and relieved that their talk had been everything they'd hope for, they gave the passion that had always simmered between them free rein. And what a free reign it was.

She leaned forward the last few inches and their lips met for the third time. This time they knew the taste and shape of the other, and they dove right in. The hand that was at his neck moved into his hair and she gripped it as her mouth opened to receive his tongue.

At the touch of her tongue, he couldn't stop his moan. The idea that he was touching and kissing Bones was as seductive as the feel and taste of her. He moved his hand down to her ass and shifted his grip on her head as they moved their heads to change the angle of the kiss.

Brennan's free hand roamed down his back and slid beneath his shirt, bunched his t-shirt in her fist and pulled it free from his pants. Once it was free, she skimmed her hand under it and raked her nails up his bare back. He shuddered at the sensual pain and the lack of oxygen made him pull back from the kiss. He nipped her bottom lip before he started to kiss down her neck. She moaned and threw her head back to give him better access.

Booth kissed and nipped his way down her neck at the same time as the hand that had been in her hair glided down her back to her ass. He cupped it in both hands and brought her pelvis closer to his. Brennan used the momentum of his pull to jump up and wrap her legs around his waist.

He wasn't expecting her move and had to take a couple of steps back to compensate. However, since he was much more interested in exploring her cleavage than in watching his steps, he stepped right into the couch and lost his balance. The only thing he could do as he was falling was to turn his body so that they would fall onto the couch with him on the bottom. Fortunately, since Daniel was about as tall as Booth and since he'd made sure to buy a long and comfortable couch when Vala moved in with him, Brennan and Booth's landing was soft and bouncy.

Brennan's eyes, which had flown open as she felt herself fall, closed again with a moan when their bouncing ground his cock right where she most wanted it. She let her head fall into his neck and lightly bit him as the sensations swept through her.

Booth groaned at the bite and gripped her hips tighter to guide her movements. When they established a rhythm, he let one of his hands move roam across her back. On the second glide, he sneaked it beneath her shirt and caressed her bare skin all the way to the top. As he came back down, he stopped to unhook her bra and then followed the material to her sides, where he lightly skimmed her breasts.

Wanting more of his touch, Brennan pushed herself into a sitting position, with a hand on his chest. Booth sensed her intent and moved his hands to her waist to help her. Once she was seated astride his hips, Booth took a moment to admire a sight he had never been sure he'd ever see.

With her head thrown back, her hips undulating on his and her hands kneading his stomach, she looked like a goddess and he was sure he'd never seen a lovelier sight. Then he realized that the sight would only improve if she were to be topless – where it would be even better if she was to be completely naked, but he decided to start at the top, so to speak. With that goal in mind, he started unbuttoning her shirt from the bottom up. She soon noticed his intent and decided to apply her considerable talent to the task.

Less than half a minute later, her top and bra laid discarded on the coffee table and Booth was proven right. The sight of a half naked Brennan riding him was much better than a fully clothed Brennan riding – as good as that sight had been. A particularly hard thrust of Brennan's hips brought Booth out of his contemplation and with a moan he reached for the lovely bounty bouncing freely in front of him.

Brennan lost her rhythm as Booth started to knead and pinch her breasts and nipples, sitting still for a minute to fully enjoy the sensations that were going directly to her clit. A few moments later, she decided that it wasn't fair that she be the only one sans a top and reached for the bottom of his t-shirt. She started to pull it up but had failed to notice that he needed to get rid of his BDU shirt before he was able to take off his t-shirt. But Booth, being as accommodating as Brennan had been, soon remedied that detail by getting up on his elbows and shrugging off his shirt and then allowing Brennan to take off his t-shirt.

Just like him, she took a few seconds to admire him in his naked glory; unlike him, this was not the first time she'd seen him topless and it was almost no time before she started touching him. She started at his waist and massaged her way up; when she arrived at his nipples she stopped to play with them. She had such a focused look on her face, that he was happy to let her explore him. A few moments later, however, he decided that the breast that he was squeezing would feel much better in his mouth than in his hand.

Sure that his conclusion was right and that she would agree with it, he used the hand he was caressing her back with, to pull her towards his mouth. She let out a small squeal until she realized what he wanted. Once she did, she once again helped him out by cupping his head and guiding his mouth to her nipple.

With a moan, which was echoed by her, Booth opened his mouth wide and took her in. Thinking that he was in heaven, Booth closed his eyes and fulfilled another of his Bones fantasies. Moments later, he switched breasts – he wouldn't want either of them to feel left out after all. Seeing that Brennan was more than happy to stay where she was, he left the hand that was not occupied with the other breast, to roam back down to her ass.

He followed the line of her jeans down until he was cupping her through them. She was so primed that a squeeze of both hands at the same time he nipped her nipple was enough to make her spasm in release.

He was surprised at the strength and ease of her orgasm, but held her through it nonetheless - feeling as if he was king of the world. With an inward snort, he decided he better not share that particular feeling. He was pretty sure that was a sure way to experience first hand one of those karate moves she was so proud of.

"Wow, Bones," he said huskily as she calmed down. "That was amazing."

"Yeah," she agreed with a soft chuckle. "It was. I'm sorry, I don't usually . . ."

"Hey," he said tenderly as he inclined his head and nudged her face up from his chest where she had collapsed in the throes of her orgasm. "You have nothing to apologize for. Knowing that I make you feel this way . . ." He shook his head and settled for, "Well, it makes me feel pretty good."

"Yeah," she said with an amused grunt. "It would. But you're still . . ."

"Turned on? Horny? Dieing to be inside you?" He asked with a smirk.

"All of the above," she answered with a swat at his shoulder.

"Yes," he said with a grin. "All of the above. But don't worry," he hastened to add when he saw she was distressed and about to protest. "This is not the first time, and I'm sure it won't be the last, that I feel this way after being in your company. I'll be ok. Believe me," he told her with a wink, when she didn't look convinced. "If I haven't died yet, I won't die at all – at least not from unspent lust."

"Booth," she protested, as she made to straighten up. "I could . . ."

"Bones," he interrupted her. "There's no need. I'll be fine. Besides, I don't think this is the time or place for this, do you?" He asked, looking around. And for the first time since they kissed, she realized exactly where they were.

"Yeah, I guess," but she didn't sound too sure.

"Temperance," he said and had her looking at him curiously. "I love you and I want our first time to be special. Something we'll always remember as one of the best nights of our lives. We will only have one first time and I want it to be memorable. Not a hurried affair in some one else's apartment. Don't you want the same?"

She looked into his eyes and found that a previously undiscovered romantic streak agreed wholeheartedly with him. She did want their first time to be special and a quickie was not going to be it.

"You're right," she told him as she leaned and kissed softly. "Our first time should special and memorable. And this is not the place for it."

"No, it's not," he agreed with a sigh and then with a grin, told her, "So, what do you say we get you covered up? Because, as much as I want to wait, you without a shirt on, are one tempting sight."

She sat up with a laugh and reached forward for their tops. "So, what do we do now?"

"Well," he said, as he pulled down his t-shirt before shrugging on his outer shirt, "I think we should go and have dinner in a nice restaurant."

"Dinner?" Brennan asked, as she looked at her watch and found to her surprise that it was indeed time for dinner. "I guess dinner would be good," she said and her stomach picked that moment to let her know it need substance. At her sheepish look, Booth laughed and pulled her for a kiss.

"Ok, so, we ready?" he asked, as he pulled back. She nodded and he leaned in for another kiss. "Good, then let's go."

With another nod, she walked out the apartment next to him – just as she'd done since they'd met and just as she planned to do for the rest of their lives.

**A/N2: **Ok, so I know that it's not full smut but I tried, I really did! I just couldn't make it work, not in this chapter and not giving the circumstances they found themselves in. Like Booth said, a quickie in someone else's place is not where I want the first time to be. After all, I'm getting them together, the least I can do is keeping them as much in character as possible. Please, tell me you understand? And if you're really good, I'll give you more smut next chapter and maybe, just maybe I'll add a bonus epilouge and add a very smutty bonus epilogue. How's that for incentive, huh?


	23. Chapter 23

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to keep saying it, thereby depressing myself? I don't own then - none of them, more's the pity.

**A/N:** Ok, I wasn't a very good writer this time. It took me a bit to get this done; I'm really sorry but I ended up writing a very long chapter!! Yes, I know that's not news; all my chapter are really long, aren't they? But by the time I finished this one, it turned out to be twice as long as my previously longest chapter. So, since I didn't want to cut out anything, cause I really like all of it, I decided to cut it into two chapters. Unfortunately, since the promised smut was on the second half of the chapter, it won't be posted until I post the next chapter. But, the good news is that everything is written and betaed already!! I could actually post it right now if I wanted! But I don't wanna. I don't want to say that I'm holding the smut hostage (that is what I'm doing, I just don't want to say it), but as soon as I recieve some of those wonderful reviews you're always giving me, I'll let you have the smut. So, now on with the story!! Hope you like it! And don't forget to let me know what you think!!! Oh, one more thing, I want to thank Puppet for her help betaing and to those who've reviewed. You really are awesome!!

**Chapter 23**

"And then . . ." Angela sighed and shifted in her seat as the debriefing continued. She knew that it was important and that it was a courtesy that she and the rest of the team were included on it. But she really wasn't in the mood for it. Booth and Mitchell were back safe and sound; they'd evaded the Jaffa, hidden in caves and made their way to the Stargate, what more did they need to know? 

With another sigh, she admitted that it was not that easy. Nothing was ever that easy when the military was involved; they always wanted more details and more intel and more meetings and more paperwork and more . . . with a minute check of her head, she brought back her wondering thoughts. She just wished they'd hurry it up and finish with the darn meeting already, she had an important conversation/interrogation to get to and all this delaying was making her very . . . grumpy.

She turned her head to covertly study her best friend and noticed that Brennan was sitting even closer to Booth than usual and, if she was not mistaken, they were even holding hands under the table. Oh, the curiosity was killing her!!! She'd been kicking herself all night for not following Bren and questioning her, after the kiss, the day before. But she'd been in such a state of shock that she'd let Brennan walk out with Booth and by the time she'd recovered, it was too late.

Angela had then let herself be convinced by Hodgins' claim of 'common sense' and had gone with him to dinner, giving the partners some space so that they could talk. She had, however, spent the entire meal musing, speculating and basically obsessing about 'The Kiss'. By the time dinner had been over, her curiosity had been at such high levels, she'd all but ran to the infirmary to see if Brennan was still there. But of course, Booth had already been discharged and both him, and Brennan had left.

She'd then stopped by both their quarters, thinking that was the logical place for them to have a private talk, but they hadn't been there. She'd been on her way to the lab, reasoning that since that the lab was the place Brennan felt most comfortable, they could have gone there, when she ran into Vala. The former space pirate, who was good friends with the security guards, had been happy to tell her that the partners had left the mountain as soon as Booth was given the green light.

Angela had been amazed and wondered out loud where the two of them could have gone, since neither one was familiar with the city. Vala had sheepishly answered that she'd thought the new couple needed some truly private time, so she'd given them the directions and keys to her place. Angela had been torn between being happy that Vala's considerations meant her friends had a truly private place to talk, and being annoyed that Vala's consideration meant she'd have to wait hours until she could talk to Brennan.

Vala had noticed Angela's struggle and had chuckled before asking if the artist would like to review the tape of 'The Kiss'. Angela had been distracted by that prospect and had agreed. On their way to get the tape, Vala had let it slip that Booth and Brennan hadn't been the first to kiss in the Gate room.

That bit of gossip had been juicy enough that Angela had temporarily forgotten all about Brennan, Booth and 'The Kiss' and had asked for more details. Looking around to make sure there was no one listening, Vala had leaned closer and whispered that Jack had kissed Sam in the Gate room after his last promotion ceremony. Angela had grinned widely at the news and asked if there was a tape of the event. Vala had shared the grin as she answered, that while most had been confiscated by the Major General, Daniel just happened to have the last copy and would she like to see it?

With a chuckle, Angela had threaded her arm through Vala's and told her to lead the way. Vala decided that since they were going to watch Jack and Sam, they might as well be comfy and go to her quarters. On the way, they ran into Hodgins and Zack, who were off to conduct some experiments with the base's eggheads, and who told them that Camille was spending some time with Janet Frazier.

They spent an enjoyable few hours going over tons and tons of security footage. Not only had they seen Booth and Brennan kiss, a few times over, they'd also seen Jack and Sam kiss (Vala had clapped and cheered the first time she'd seen it), and various other personnel in different and interesting situations. By the time Hodgins had come for her, she'd been ready to call it a night and had once again let herself been convinced not go after Brennan. She'd figured she could go first thing this morning. But Hodgins had kept her occupied for most of the night and she'd overslept.

By the time she'd gotten to Brennan's quarters, the good doctor had already left for breakfast. When she arrived at the commissary, she found not only Brennan but the rest of the team and most of SG1 too. No opportunity to talk privately presented itself since they'd all gone straight to the debriefing afterwards. So, here she was stuck in a never ending briefing, when all she wanted, was to be in a private place grilling . . . er, giving Brennan an opportunity to unburden herself.

"Ok," Jack began, as he closed the file in front of him with a small thump, bringing Angela's attention back to the meeting. "Dr. Brennan, Major Booth, we couldn't have gotten as far as we have without your assistance" he said, as he looked at them across the length of the table. "But I'm sure you'll agree, the case has now moved back into SG1's area of expertise."

"Yes, sir," both of them agreed.

"Major Booth," he continued, "you'll be going back to inactive status effective tomorrow at 0900 hours. Your transport back to DC leaves tomorrow . . ."

"General, sir," Brennan spoke up, interrupting Jack's speech. "I wonder if you could keep us up to date on any developments with the case? I know that it's a matter of national security," she hastened to add, when she saw Jack had opened his mouth, "but it's just that now that we know, it'll be difficult, if not impossible, to forget about it. We would love to be kept abreast of any progress made."

"Alright," Jack said with a nod. "I think that's doable. I've noticed that the teams seem to be getting along very well so I'm sure being kept abreast of the case won't be a problem." Vala and Angela shared a knowing glance and grin before Jack continued. "As I was saying, your transport leaves tomorrow morning at 1000 hours." The team nodded their agreement. And Jack went on, "Well, if that's all," he began but he was once again interrupted, this time by Cameron.

"Actually, sir," Cameron began after sharing a glance with Booth. "I wonder if you've made a decision about that situation we discussed." Jack sighed heavily and looked at Sam before he cast a glance at the squints.

"Do you mean your request to allow Dr. Brennan and her team to travel off-world?" he asked, as he leaned back in his chair, and crossed his fingers over his stomach.

"Yes, sir," Cameron answered with a nod. "Major Booth made the request and I agree with him. As you said, we couldn't have solved the case without the team's help; they deserve the opportunity to go out there and see what the fuss is all about."

"Dr. Brennan," Jack said after a moment's silence, as he turned to look at Brennan. "Would you and your team like to go off-world?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Brennan answered, after looking over at her team. Hodgins and Zack looked as if they'd just been promised a trip to the moon (actually, if one really thought about it, they'd been offered just that – only better). Camille looked intrigued and Angela, well, Angela looked as if there were hundreds of places right here on Earth she'd rather be going to. "We'd very much like that," she then muttered a 'sorry' at Angela, but everyone else was dying to go and there was no way Brennan could refuse a chance to actually go to another planet.

"Ok," Jack said, as he turned to Mitchell, "is SG1 prepared to go along and play babysitter?" he asked, while Brennan and Hodgins sputtered indignantly.

"Yes, sir," Mitchell answered, ignoring the muffled protests. "SG1 and Major Booth will be more than happy to go along, we've all already talked about it and agreed."

"Do you have a planet in mind?" he asked.

"Yes, sir," Mitchell nodded, "we were thinking about going to the Beta site. It's secure, most of the planet is a tropical rainforest and there are some interesting ruins not far from the site. We already have entomologists and anthropologists on the planets, who, even though they're not forensic, will, I'm sure, find something the doctors here," he said, motioning towards the squint squad, "will find very interesting."

"Don't worry, honey," Vala said, as she reached out and patted Angela on the arm, when the artist slumped on her chair with a frown, "there are also some beautiful beaches there. We can take bathing suits, some food, maybe a ball and a frisbee and we can make a day of it!" Angela smiled at the other woman's enthusiasm and had to agree, a day at the beach did sound like fun.

"That's settled then," Jack said, "the Beta site it is. You have a go; you can leave as soon as you're ready. Dismissed," with that he pushed away from the table and got up. When he stood up, every military officer in the room also stood up. A few moments later the civilians followed suit and they all dispersed as they started to move towards the locker rooms.

"So," Vala said, as she walked up to Angela and hooked her arm through hers. "Still haven't gotten to talk to Brennan, huh?" Angela looked at her sideways before sighing and shaking her head.

"No," Angela answered, "I haven't. Was too late last night and I overslept this morning. By the time I got to the commissary, everybody was there. It just wasn't the time or place for it."

"Yeah," Vala agreed with a nod, "I guess it wasn't. Unfortunately," she added, when she saw Angela gazing after Brennan thoughtfully, "I don't think the locker room will be a good place for it either."

"No, it probably won't be," Angela said with another sigh. She noticed that even though Brennan was talking to Sam, the anthropologist was walking so close to Booth, their arms were constantly touching. If Angela didn't know better, she'd even say they were holding hands. She really needed to talk to Brennan! "Maybe once we're off-world . . ."

"Yes, about that," Vala interrupted her, "granted you know her better than I, but if she's anything like Daniel, and I have a feeling she is, she's going to be wrists deep in the remains of some long dead people."

"Darn it, you're probably right," Angela said with a grunt. "Maybe I could drag her away for a bit," she said, sounding very doubtful of her ability to do that.

"Well," Vala said trying to sound cheerful, "look at the bright side. We'll have a day at the beach and even if you don't get to speak to her today, you have the whole flight tomorrow to corner her and get her to talk to you."

"Ummm," Angela said, thinking about the possibility. "You're right, I know you are. I just wish I didn't have to wait so long." With a laugh, Vala told her that less than two days wasn't really that long. Angela grimaced and allowed herself to be pulled by the grinning former pirate.

Half an hour later, SG1 and all of the squints were ready and assembled in the Gate room. They were all decked out in camouflage uniforms, though, no one filled out his/her uniform as well as Booth. Angela had protested that there was no need for her to wear that uniform if they were going to a secure planet. Booth and Mitchell had answered that it was protocol and unless she was a high ranking IOA official, she needed to wear the uniform, if she had any intention of walking through the Gate.

Angela had pouted for a minute and had thought about refusing; after all she wasn't completely convinced that she wanted to go off-world in the first place. But then she'd looked around at how excited everyone else was and knew she couldn't stay behind. Not only would that stop Hodgins and Brennan from truly enjoying the trip, but she knew she'd feel completely left out once they came back and she was the only one not to set foot on an alien planet. With a huff, she had given in and grabbed the uniform and stalked into the locker room to change.

"So, campers!" Jack said, clapping his hands together as he walked into the Gate room. "You ready to walk through the great orifice for the first time?"

"Jack," Sam said, shaking her head and grinning.

"What?" he asked innocently, "we call it that sometimes, don't we?"

"No, we don't," all of SG1 answered, at the same time.

"Jack, we've talked about this before," Sam told him, chidingly, "and what are you doing wearing your camo's? Are you going with us?"

"Yes," Jack nodded, with a grin, and a gleam in his eyes. "I thought that I'd go with you guys. I haven't really checked out the Beta site and they're due for an inspection."

Daniel snorted and Mitchell turned a chuckle into a cough. Sam ignored them and just nodded.

"That'll be nice, J. . . General," she said, with a smile, even as she blushed at her almost slip of the tongue. Even though everyone knew they were married, they were pretty careful in maintaining proper military decorum at all times.

"If we're ready," Jack said, looking around at the people in the room. When he saw everyone was ready, he turned to Walter and gave the sign to start dialing the Gate.

"Ok, kids," Jack said, once the wormhole had been established. "Let's go." With a grin Sam's way, he took her hand and started to walk towards the ramp.

"So, Bones," Booth said with a grin, a bow, and a sweeping gesture, "shall we?"

"Sure," she answered, with a grin, as she took the offered elbow. "Let's go."

Angela frowned after them, surprised at how easy Bren had fallen in with Booth's playful gesture. She was distracted from her preoccupation, however, by Hodgins taking her hand and pulling her forward.

"Come on, Ange!!" he told her excitedly. "A new planet is waiting!!!"

"Oh, yay!" Angela said, but Hodgins was so thrilled that he failed to notice the less than enthusiastic tone of Angela's voice.

"Oh, isn't this exciting?" Vala asked Daniel, as they stepped onto the ramp after Angela and Hodgins. "Doesn't it remind you of the first time you stepped through the Gate?"

"The first time I stepped through the Gate," Daniel said in answer, "we had no idea what was waiting for us on the other side and we ended up meeting and fighting Ra. So, no, this doesn't remind me of that." Vala made a face at him and then, laughing, stepped through the wormhole.

Cameron then turned to Camille and told her, "I guess it's our turn. You ready?"

"You mean am I ready to step through an ancient device that will take me apart at the molecular level and then reassemble me thousands of light years away?" she asked, with a small smile. At his nod and shrug, she answered, "as I'll ever be," and after a deep breath, walked with Cameron onto the ramp and then through the Gate.

"Doctor Zachariah Addy" Teal'c said, as he tilted his head. "It appears that it falls to us to guard the rear. Are you ready to step through the Chappa'ai?"

"It doesn't hurt, does it?" Zack asked, looking up at Teal'c. As much as he wanted to go to another planet, hearing Dr. Soroyan describe how interstellar travel was actually accomplished made him hesitate a tiny bit.

"No, it does not," Teal'c answered, truthfully. "You might need to empty the content of your stomach and your body temperature might need to rise to a more comfortable level after we arrived at the Beta site, but the actual trip through the Chappa'ai does not hurt."

Zack looked at Teal'c with wide eyes after that answer and wondered if maybe that was how Booth felt when one of the squints gave him a somewhat more in depth answer than what was strictly needed. Teal'c's raised eyebrow reminded him that they were waiting on him. With a deep breath and a jerky nod, he turned and followed the big alien into the wormhole that would take him to an alien planet and the adventure of a lifetime.

---------------------------------------

They were greeted by the Colonel in charge of the Beta site, Colonel Fernandez, and his senior staff, who were all honored and somewhat nervous at receiving the head of the program and the fabled SG1. The soldiers in charge of securing the Gate, retreated to the side after saluting the General, giving the arriving first time travelers the space they needed.

As the squints stepped through the Gate, SG1 made sure to lead them away from the immediate area and gave them a few minutes to recover their equilibrium. As veterans of the Stargate program, they'd been through the Gate countless times, but no one had forgotten their first time through. They all agreed that as exhilarating as Gate travel can be, when one first uses it, and as common place as it can become when one uses it repeatedly for years, that first time was always . . . an experience to be remembered.

"Here," Sam said, as she gave Camille a drink of water and rubbed her back comfortingly. "That sick feeling will pass in a minute and you'll feel 100 again."

"It's so cold," Camille protested, shivering, as she hugged her arms around her torso, even as she sat hunched over. "I thought you said it was early spring."

"It is," Vala answered cheerfully, from where she was standing by Hodgins and Angela. "The cold you're feeling is a side-effect of first time Gate travel. It should wear off in a few minutes."

"Hear that, Hodgie?" Angela asked, as she briskly ran her hands up and down Hodgins' arms. For some reason, other than a slightly queasy stomach, Angela had had no ill side effects from Gate travel. Hodgins, on the other hand, had, like Camille, experienced the full blown side effects: upset stomach so severe it led to a complete emptying of their breakfasts and an abrupt and drastic drop in body temperature. Thankfully, as Vala and Sam had said, the effects never lasted long and both Camille and Hodgins were feeling better within minutes.

Brennan, who was a few feet away standing along Booth, had been luckier than Hodgins and Camille. She did not have an upset stomach at all, which might have had something to do with the fact that since Booth had warned her of the risk, she had limited her breakfast to a cup of tea and a couple of pieces of toast. Though her body temperature had also dropped quite severely, she didn't mind it at all since she quite approved of the method Booth had come up with to raise it. He had wrapped his arms around her body and pulled her closer to his to share his body heat. They were so comfortable they stayed that way long past the time when her body temperature had normalized.

Zack, who was the last of the squints to come through, rushed to the bushes as his breakfast also made a quite unfortunate return trip. His body temperate, however, stayed normal and he did not have to suffer through the chills.

"It's not fair," Hodgins said, as he wiped his mouth and sat back against a rock. "You didn't even want to come and yet you're the one least affected!" he cried, looking at Angela.

"Not true," Angela denied, as she looked around the clearing. "Look at Bren," she said, pointing at the anthropologist, who was still wrapped up in the arms of her partner. Angela's eyes had widened at the sight and had filed the information away for future use. But there was nothing that said she couldn't point it out now, "She's also doing pretty well; I mean she has to, to be feeling Booth up, don't you think?"

"Angela!!" Brennan cried out, as she and Booth took a step away from each other. But no more than one step and no where near as fast as Angela would have thought. Oh, there sooo was something going on between those two. "Booth was just trying to help warm me up, that's all. The trip left me pretty cold."

"Sure, sweetie," Angela said, in a tone that made clear how much she believed that story – that is to say, not at all. "That's your story and you're sticking to it." Before Brennan could do more than open her mouth in protest, Angela turned back to Hodgins and said, "Besides what does it matter who was more or less affected? We're on another planet, Hodgie!! Look around, we're on another planet!!!" She exclaimed with her arms thrown wide and a huge grin on her face. Now that the trip through the Gate was behind her, she could finally really appreciate the fact that she was on another planet.

Angela's actions reminded them all that they were, indeed, on another planet and they finally looked around them. What they saw took their breaths away and made them forget all about the discomfort they felt.

The sky was a deep purple with red streaks here and there and light blue clouds. There were two suns at 35 degrees from each, one was slightly bigger than the other one and both were orangeier than Earth's sun. The planet also had 5 moons, three of which were visible during the day. One had what looked like oceans; it, in fact, looked very similar to what Earth looked like from space and possibly the closest the squints would get to seeing Earth from outside.

As they were studying the sky, an eagle like bird flew over their heads. At least, its cry was close to that of an eagle, the body, well the body was closer to that of pre-historic bird. They watched it fly away for a few seconds, in awe, before they brought their attention back to their surroundings.

They were standing in a clearing that enclosed the Gate with its customary steps; beyond the clearing was the lush vegetation of a tropical rain forest, complete with the sounds and smells of such. The details of this tropical rain forest, however, were unlike those of any found on Earth. Though none of them had ever actually set foot in a tropical rain forest, they had all seen footage and had a pretty good idea of what one looked like – and that was nothing like what was in front of them.

The tallest tree was no more than half a foot taller than Booth and most were about his height. Some of the leaves were more brown than green, even though it was obvious they were healthy, and not dying, and some had a more bluish tint to them. The flowers were abundant but looked like nothing anyone had ever seen and their colors were more pastel than the vibrant colors found on Earth's flowers.

Even the sounds of the forest were foreign, the chirps and buzzing had more of a growl to them and most of them were faint, as if they were on a higher frequency and were on the edge of what's audible to the human ear. The smells were subtle but abundant; some were sweet but most were more citrus-y.

"How beautiful," Angela breathed, as she leaned closer to a very pale green flower that looked like a mix between a gardenia and an orchid.

"Careful, Ange," Hodgins said, keeping her back from the flower. "We don't know if it's safe to touch, yet." They all turned to look at SG1, who in turn, turned to look at Sam.

"What?" she asked all of them before sighing and answering, "it should be safe. As far as I know, the SGC scientists have cleared all the vegetation around the Gate." While Colonel Fernandez and his staff nodded their agreement, she turned to Jack and grumbled under her breath, "why do they always ask me about everything they don't know?"

"Because you always have the answers," Jack answered simply, with a shrug. At her crunched nose, he laughed before he turned to the rest of the group and motioned to a beaten path off to the side. "Shall we?" Everyone nodded and turned to followed Jack.

"So," Angela asked, "how far is the base?"

"Not far," answered Colonel Fernandez, "about a 15-20 minute walk."

"It's not as humid as I thought a tropical rain forest would be," Camille commented a few seconds later. "Or as hot," she added, as she examined everything around her. "Or is it that I'm still feeling the after affects?"

"You shouldn't be," Major Arlen, the site's 2IC, answered. "Your temperature should be back to normal by now. It's just not that hot or humid yet. Remember, spring has only begun. It won't be really hot or humid for another few weeks." Camille nodded in understanding and continued to study all the alien flora and fauna around her.

Brennan was so busy studying the unfamiliar animal and plant life along the path that she relied on Booth, whose shirt she was holding, to keep her from falling on her face. She turned her head to follow a monkey like creature, when she noticed that both Mitchell and Teal'c were walking behind the group with their hands on their weapons and their eyes alertly scanning the forest.

With a slight frown, she moved her eyes up front, and saw that, even though Jack and Sam seemed to be having a nice, relaxed conversation, their hands were also on their weapons and their head movements indicated that they too were actively scanning the bushes. When she turned her head to say something to Booth, she realized, he, too, was holding his weapon and examining everything around them.

"If this planet is secured," she told Booth, as she too started looking around for threats instead of the natural beauty, "why are you and SG1 looking like you are waiting for something to jump out of the trees and attack us?"

"Because Bones," he answered, as he looked at her from the corner of his eye, "we are on an _alien planet_. However secured the base might be there's no way the whole planet can be secure. And we're trained to always be alert, you know?" he added, teasingly.

"Yeah, yeah," she answered, as she went back to study the amazing landscape around her.

About 20 minutes later, they finally arrived at the Beta site. They rested a few moments, because even if the temperature and humidity weren't very high, a 20 minute hike through the forest would tend to leave one hot and a bit out of breath. After they'd drunk some water and caught their breath, they were taken on a tour of the base. After a general walk through the labs, the group broke up as everyone gravitated toward their area of interest.

"So," Vala said, after Hodgins kissed Angela good bye, "you ready to go have some fun in the sun?"

"Yep," Angela nodded happily, she still wanted to have a heart to heart with Brennan but she had decided that, since there was likely no power on Earth or the galaxy that could distract the dedicated scientist from exploring the remains of a long dead alien culture, she might as well enjoy her day at the beach – even if, or especially if, that beach was on another planet. "Let's go!!"

"Hold on, ladies!!" Camille called out, as the two new friends turned and started to walk away. "Wait for me; I'm coming with you," she said, as she walked away from the labs and towards them.

"You are?" asked a somewhat surprised Angela. "What about exploring the labs? Don't you want to stay here and be all scientist-y?"

"Nah," Camille answered with a wave of her hand, as they turned down the path leading to the beach. A couple airmen, sent by Jack, followed them a few feet behind. "I'm a coroner, Ange. I admit the notion of alien anatomy does intrigue me, but I already studied quite a bit of them back at the SGC and they don't really have any . . . 'juicy," she said with a grin, "remains around here. The labs _are_ interesting but I think I'd rather spend the day playing in the surf on an alien beach."

"I hear ya," Vala nodded.

"Ummm, guys," Angela told them, as she looked behind them and saw the two airmen following them. "Did you know that those two airmen are following us?"

"Oh, them" Vala said, unperturbed. "Jack sent them as our escorts. You know with us going to a deserted beach on an alien planet," she explained with a shrug, "you know how protective men can be." All three chuckled at that before ignoring the men behind them and concentrated on having fun.

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**A/N2: **Don't worry, I promised smut and I keep my word. Just give me those lovely reviews you know how to write and the smut will come before you know it!!!


	24. Chapter 24

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **Do I really need to keep saying it, thereby depressing myself? I don't own then - none of them, more's the pity.

**A/N:** You didn't really think I was going to make you wait days, did you??? I'm not that mean!! So, here it is - Men's final chapter. I'm so happy to have finished it and at the same time sad that it's over. But, we have the sequel to look forward to, don't we?? And there's a short epilogue to come shortly. Ok, since this is the last full chapter I thougth I'd take this opportunity say a few things, you guys know I'm rather verbose and that these a/n's tend to be long - this one might be even longer, but please just bear with me. This story was a challenge I set for myself, which ended up being a huge undertaking - one I couldn't have surmounted by myself. So, I want to say I few thanks, some I've mentioned before and some I should have but didn't. Thank you, first to: Mendenbar, who has reviewed practically every chapter and whose honesty convinced me to get a beta. Without her not so subtle suggestions that as good as the story was, it needed editing, I wouldn't have looked for a beta. And without a beta, the story wouldn't read as smoothly as it does and I wouldn't have learned as much as I have. So, thank you; I hope you always continue to honest in your reviews. To BGWG, who might have found the story a bit later but who became one of my most loyal and enthusiastic readers. Knowing that there are people out there always waiting for a new chapter is a great feeling; having someone ask me how the writing is going is not only flattering but it also have the kick in the rear I need to work through my slumps and writer's block. Thank you and any time you want any spoilers, just let me know!! To fab, who finally lost patience and came here to read the end. I love your reviews, the always make me laugh!! Thank you for being so sweet and I haven't forgotten the challange you gave me. I'll work on it now that this is done. And did you like the continuation to "I know"? I know it probably wasn't what you had in mind but I did developed the storyline and I gave you some smut!! To JAXTIG, all reviews are great but yours made me tear up. I am so glad that your mouse developed a mind of its own and brought you to my story and that you stuck with it even though you don't like croosovers and have no interest in SG1. Thank you for the sweet words. I hope you like the ending and stick around for the sequel. To Polly; whose insane class schedule hasn't let her enjoyed fanfiction as much as I'm sure she'd liked but who always makes time to read my chapters. Thank you and I hope you have time to follow the sequel too! To Ann, whose help was invaluable. You helped me work out what was probably the most complicated chapter in terms of backstory and you helped me keep everyone in character. I'm sorry that our association came to such an abrupt end but I want you to know how much I appreciated your help, I couldn't have gotten those chapters out without it. To Puppet for all her help betaing this not so small fic (lol). And to Puppet and Sany for always being there, for making me laugh even when I don't feel like it and for letting me vent when I need to rant and cry if that's what I need to do. For answering all my questions about grammar without making me feel bad about it, for being there when I needed to work something out and for telling me it was ok when I couldn't write anymore and for putting up with me when I ask for help and then don't take your suggestions! For helping me work through writer's block, by either going around or through it. For always encouraging me and making me feel good about myself when I doubt what I'm doing or don't know which way is up. For helping me put everything in perspective and realized that I don't have to take everything so seriously. And for giving me permission and encouragement to let my wise ass self out!! Thank you for being such great friends!!! As I said before, the story would have been written without you guys (the voices in my head wouldn't have let me alone otherwise) but it wouldn't be anywhere near as good as it is and I wouldn't have grown as much as a writer without your help. So, thank you, you rock!! And finally, to everyone that has read this very long fic, whether you've reviewd or not, whether you ended up reading by accident or actually wanted to, whether you liked croosovers or just put up with it, whether you knew who SG1 was or discovered them as you read. For staying with me for 24 chapter, all of which were an average 10 pages, and not giving up even when I took weeks between postings: THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, sorry about the lenghty a/n, you can now go and read the last full chapter with the promised smut. Please, let me know what you think!

**Chapter 24**

A little more than three hours after they'd arrived, Brennan looked up from the remains she was examining to look around the lab. She straightened her back, with a fist on her waist, as she realized that she was alone in the room. Preferring to explore alone, she had quickly lost her escort and immersed herself in the bones and relics of the old civilization that had once inhabited that planet.

She'd spent the first half of the morning traipsing around the old ruins because, while she was a forensic anthropologist with bones as her specialty, studying the physical ruins of an ancient city was too good an opportunity to pass up. She'd spent the last half of the morning, studying the bones and relics that had already been moved to the labs. And though she had been fascinated by the similarities between the alien culture and the Incan culture back on Earth, her attention had began to waver and thoughts of last night had become increasingly hard to banish.

As she looked back at the bones on the table, she found that she really didn't want to be stuck indoors looking at old bones. She looked towards the door and wondered what Booth had been doing since they'd come back to the lab from the ruins. With a last look at the bones, she decided that there were better things she could be doing with her time in an alien tropical forest than being stuck in the lab.

With a nod, she turned around and walked towards the door. On her way, she picked up the bag she'd packed earlier, in anticipation of Booth dragging her away for a walk through the woods. Sam had also told her of a waterfall close by and she'd thought it'd be a good idea to bring some towels and snacks, just in case they made their way there.

"Excuse me," she said to the soldiers she ran into, "do you happen to know where Major Booth is?"

"Yes, ma'am," the first one answered. "He's out with Teal'c, Mitchell and a few others practicing a few moves."

Brennan nodded and moved in the direction the soldier had directed. A few moments later, she came up to a clear area where a bunch of the soldiers, including Booth, were mock fighting. They had all lost their tee-shirts and Brennan was momentarily distracted by the sheer male beauty being displayed and absently thought of what Angela's reaction would be to such a view.

When Booth knocked down the young airman he was sparing with, Brennan broke out of her reverie and took a step closer. That extra sense that made them always aware of each other kicked in then and Booth turned around and spotted her. She couldn't contain a grin from breaking across her face when she saw the smile that lit up his face.

"Hey, Bones," he called out, as he jogged towards her, "what's up?"

"Nothing much," Brennan answered with a shrug. She looked him up and down and then glanced back at the guys still fighting before looking back at him and saying, "You couldn't keep away from playing with the boys, could you?"

"Guess not," Booth said with a chuckle. "I figured I should get all the practice I can now since we're leaving tomorrow. I won't have much of a chance to practice the moves Teal'c taught me once we're back in DC."

"I supposed not," she said absently, as she watched a drop of sweat that rolled down his pectoralis major. Her fingers itched to reach out and rub it into his skin; to stop herself from doing just that, she fisted her hands, and stuck them into her pockets. With an inaudible sigh, she realized how much harder it was going to be to control the impulse to touch him now that she had ran her hands all over that well-structured body.

"So," Booth said, with a smirk, as he noticed how she was eyeing his chest and couldn't help but eye her chest in return. "How come you're out here?" He asked, partly in curiosity and partly to distract himself from thinking about how beautiful she looked. "I thought I was going to have to drag you away from the bones to get you to eat something and then force you to take a break and come with me for a walk. But here you are and by your own initiative."

"Well," Brennan replied, coyly. "I had this really . . . nice time last night, and; well, I can't quite get it out of my head. So, I thought I'd come out and see if I could entice you to go look for this waterfall Sam told me about."

"Ummm," Booth murmured, as he took a step closer to her. The tone of her voice and the look in her eyes had had the predictable effect on him; his eyelids had fallen half-mast and his voice had dropped to that tone of voice she'd discovered last night. "That sounds really, really interesting, Bones. But are you sure you want to leave those old, dusty, alien bones," with each word he uttered, he twisted one of her curls around his finger, "in favor of coming on a walk with little old me? After all, studying those bones is an opportunity of a lifetime." While he was teasing her a little bit, what he said was true and he would really understand if she'd rather spend most of her time playing with bones.

"Booth," she whispered, as she lightly followed the path of another drop of sweat along his sternum. "As much as I love studying bones, I don't think I can pass the opportunity of visiting a waterfall on an alien planet with you. Can you?" She asked him and looked up at him through her eyelashes as she traced the waistband of his pants.

The way he was standing, with his back to the men, meant that no one could see what she was doing. But even if they could have seen her actions, she wouldn't have acted differently. She was feeling very playful and since they were not going to keep their relationship a secret and they were not on a case, there was nothing keeping her from acting as she wanted.

"Bon . . ." Booth started to speak, and ended up coughing, as her finger hooked into his waistband and pull lightly. "Ah, Bones? You want to wait until we're not surrounded by people?" He asked her, tilting his head in the men's direction, even as he grabbed her hand and pulled it away from his lower body.

"Ok, then," Brennan agreed with a slow grin. "Let's go to that waterfall, shall we?"

"Fine with me," Booth told her with an answering grin. "But don't we run the risk of running into Sam and the General? She and the General disappeared a while ago and if she's the one that told you about the waterfall . . ."

"Oh, don't worry about it," she said with a wave of her hand. "Sam told me that this planet has more than a dozen waterfalls scattered all over it. She prefers one that's to the North of here. The one she gave me directions to is more to the East."

"How does she know about the waterfalls, anyway?" he asked, as he tucked her hair behind her ear.

"They've done a few aerial recons of the planet," she explained with a shrug. "And she and Vala did a bit of exploring of the few closest to the base the last time they were here."

"Does that mean that Vala might show up at the waterfall?" he asked with a grimace. The idea of the former pirate walking in on them while they were . . . occupied, appealed to him about as much as the idea of a superior officer walking in on them.

"No," Brennan denied, shaking her head. "She's at the beach right now. I don't think she will be leaving it before we have to go back home. And, anyway, according to Sam there's one much closer to the beach; she'll go to that one if she feels the urge."

"Good," Booth nodded. "Then, let me get my stuff and we'll be off." She agreed and he turned to go, but he hesitated, and turned back to her to ask, "Shouldn't we get some towels or something?"

"Don't worry about it," she told him, as she patted the strap of her backpack. "I've taken care of it."

"Oh," he said, as his eyes widened in realization that Brennan had planned this in advance. "Ok, then," he added, flashing his charm smile. "I'll be back in a minute." She nodded, grinning, as she saw his muscles flex as he jogged back to where he'd left his tee-shirt.

"Hey, Mitchell," Booth said, as he picked up his tee shirt, vest and gun from where he'd left them earlier on. "I'm off with Bones to do a little exploring. We'll be back in a couple of hours" he told the Air Force Colonel, as protocol dictated. They might be off duty but they were on another planet and going off without letting any one know was only not prudent but against regulations.

"Have fun," Mitchell told him, his eyes following the other man hurrying back to his waiting partner. "Though, I'm sure you will," he murmured, when he saw Booth take the pack Dr Brennan was carrying and then put his arm around her waist.

Cameron Mitchell didn't pretend to be a genius, but for a few years now he had been working with a couple of them and there were a few things he had learned in that time. One of them was the fact that there were very few things that could tear a workaholic genius scientist away from studying a new find. In fact, the only reasons he could think of (besides a direct order or being physically dragged away) was love and lust.

In point of fact, he was sure a romantic time out was the reason Sam had let the general drag her away an hour earlier. And spending some time in the sun with their better halves was likewise what had prompted both Daniel and Hodgins from leaving behind all talk of alien civilizations and alien insects.

As he looked around, Mitchell abruptly realized that, besides Teal'c, he was the only member of SG1 that was still at the base; just as he was the only member of the team to not have a significant other. Even Teal'c had Ishta. With a sigh, he decided that it was high time he changed that. And without giving it a second thought, he decided to go to the beach and join those that had not sought to be alone. That coroner on Booth's team was fine looking and if he wasn't mistaken, she too was single. There was no harm in seeing if something could develop there, was there?

------------------------

"So, how far away is this waterfall?" Booth asked, as they started the trek through the forest. "And how good are those directions?"

"Sam said about half an hour," Brennan answered, as she took a handheld GPS device from her pants pocket. "And she programmed the coordinates in here," she said, waving the device around before bending to study it.

"Great," Booth said, sounding just the tiniest bit relieved. "Let me see that," he asked, extending his hand to take it but she snatched it away with a chuckle. He tried again and she again held it just out of his reach. "Bones, come on," he said, grinning. "Gimme."

"Why?" She asked, as she took a couple of side steps and kept the device out of his reach. "I'm as capable of reading this as you are. Why should I give it over to you?"

"Ah, Bones," he said, reaching around her to grab the GPS. "Hand it over; I'm the Ranger, remember?"

"Ah ha," she sang, grinning, as she continued to side step him. She continued to evade him for a few more moments, before giving in and handing him the GPS. With a laugh, she wrapped her arm around his and laid her head on his shoulder while he examined the information displayed on the GPS. "You alpha male, you," she said teasingly. He chuckled at how she made the term sound like an endearment and leaned in to kiss her forehead before once more giving the GPS his attention.

A little less than half an hour later, they arrived at the clearing that surrounded a relatively small, but beautiful waterfall.

The plunge waterfall was about 275 to 300 feet tall and fell into a deep pool of water so clear, you could see all the way to the bottom. The pool was a rough oval shape and about 50 feet in diameter. From where they stood, they could see that the plunge pool extended behind the waterfall; the splash back from the waterfall had formed the rock shelter. The cave-like formation combined with the falling water to create as private a space as you could have in the middle of the forest.

Most of the rocks around the pool were covered in moss, as one would expect. This moss, however, was not the green found on Earth but brown. The trees that enclosed the clearing were somewhat taller than those found by the Gate, but again, not as tall as most trees were on Earth. There was also more underbrush growing around the trees than there'd been by the Gate; and the flowers were also more abundant. Brennan speculated that the existence of more plant life was due to the proximity of a water source.

They both let out an amazed gasp at the beauty before them, as they walked into the clearing.

"This is beautiful," Brennan whispered, as she took a step closer to a brush of flowers that looked remarkably like roses but smelled more like jasmine.

"Careful, Bones," Booth called out, as he took a step closer to the pool. "We don't know which plants are poisonous and which aren't."

"I know, Booth," she said, patiently, but took a step away nevertheless. She took a deep breath of the sweet air and walked closer to Booth. "But you have to admit this place is . . ."

"Stunning and exotic," he finished for her. "Yes, it is." He agreed softly, as he walked towards the trunk of a tree that was leaning forward. The tips of the branches were submerged in the water and he set down his gun, backpack and vest next to it. "It's almost like a post card of paradise," he added as he turned to look at her.

Brennan nodded her agreement, as she continued to study the natural wonder in front of her. Booth turned his head and at the wonder on her face, decided that as beautiful as the clearing around them was, it couldn't hold a candle to how beautiful she looked in that moment.

"What?" She asked, when she turned, and caught him staring at her. "Do I have something on my face?" she asked, as she raised a hand to remove whatever it was that he was seeing.

"No," Booth breathed with a small smile, shaking his head. It never failed to amaze him that as atypical a woman as she was, she could still react in typical female fashion at the most unexpected times. A most complicated woman was his Bones and he wouldn't have her any other way. "There's nothing on your face," he reassured her, as he stepped closer to her and cupped her cheek on his hand. "But you look absolutely gorgeous right now. I don't think you've ever looked lovelier than you do right at this moment"

"Booth," she whispered, as her eyes took on that glow that made them sparkle like two sapphires and which he liked to think was reserved just for him. Her eyelids half-closed, as if they'd become too heavy to keep them open and she nuzzled her cheek into his palm.

"Yes, Bones?" he asked softly, as he bent forward and kissed the part of her neck she'd exposed by leaning on his hand. "You want something?" He asked again, in between kisses, as he moved down towards her chest.

"What?" She asked, sounding out of breath. It was astounding how much the touch of his mouth on her skin affected her. Part of her brain wondered how she could have gone so long without knowing his touch and another part wondered how she'd ever get any work done now that she knew how incredible it felt to be held and caressed and touched by him.

"You always smell so good," he murmured, before he nipped her right where her neck met her shoulder. "And taste so incredibly good," he added, as he lifted his head from her neck and took her lips in a scorching kiss. The hand he'd had at her cheek slid towards the back of her head and didn't stop until his fingers were entangled in her hair and his palm cupped her nape.

Brennan moaned under her breath, at the strength of his kiss and slid one hand to the back of his neck and the other sneaked to his back and under the tee-shirt he'd put back on when they had started their walk. After a few minutes of caressing his back, she took hold of the tee and started to pull it up. When they had to break apart, for lack of oxygen, she grabbed the tee-shirt with both hands pulled it all the way off. With a smirk, she threw it over her head and leaned forward to take one of his nipples into her mouth.

Booth threw his head back and moaned loudly when she sucked his nipple before nipping it. The hand he had cupping her head, moved her to his neglected nipple even as he tried to protest. "Wait, Bones," he said with a groan, but she ignored him and continued to kiss, nip and lick his pectoral muscles. The hand he'd dropped to her waist fisted at the intense sensations before he used it to pull her shirt from her pants and slid it underneath to stroke the soft skin of her lower back.

Brennan was a woman who prided herself on her multi-tasking abilities and while kissing and touching Booth and being kissed and touched by Booth tended to short-circuit most of her higher brain functions, enough of her neurons were left intact that she was able to take advantage of her multi-tasking skills. So, while her mouth was occupied with his chest, her hands were busy on other parts of his body.

At first, she ran them all over his back, discovering and mapping all those muscles that she had admired from afar before. She then dropped them to that wonderful and tight ass that had been part of her fantasies long before she'd admitted to herself that her feelings for her partner were much more than just platonic. Then, when one of Booth's hands dropped to her own ass and brought her pussy in direct contact with his hard cock and the other got busy unhooking her bra and then massaging her breast, she brought both hands to his front and started to undo his belt, and unhooked and unzipped his pants.

Booth was so engrossed by the feel of her hands on his body and the feel of her body under his hands, that it took him a minute before he realized she was undoing his pants. When he did realize it, Brennan had her hand inside his briefs and was cupping his cock and it was almost too much to think, let alone speak, any sort of protest. But Booth was a Ranger and had been tortured before; his will was very strong – almost as strong as his desire for his beautiful and stubborn partner.

"Bones, wait," he said, again, as he stopped his exploration of her butt to try and bring her hand out of his pants. "This isn't the time," he tried again, gritting his teeth, as he tried to resist the urge to let go, throw her to the ground and fuck the living day lights out of her.

"I know," she whispered, as she lifted her mouth from his chest and took his mouth in a kiss that made him forget his name. When she finally pulled back to breath, she looked into his eyes before speaking. "You're right; our first time should be special – something we'll always remember as perfect. But you made me feel incredible last night and I want to return the favor today." As she finished speaking, she squeezed him lightly.

Booth hissed at the exquisite pleasure and said, "You don't need . . . to do this. Temperance, there really is no need." He closed his eyes and dropped his head forward when she continued to pump him.

"I know there's no need, Seeley," she breathed into his ear, which was right next to her mouth, as his head had come to rest on her shoulder, because it was too much effort for him to keep it up. "But I want to, so let go," she urged, as she sped up the rhythm of her strokes and tightened her grip.

The night before had been wonderful for both of them but only Brennan had achieved release. Booth had been left very, very turned on (and very, very frustrated). While he'd been able to calm down since then, that feeling came back with a vengeance, at the feel of her hand on his cock and it wasn't long before he was coming all over her hand and their stomachs.

She continued to pump him, as he came down, even as she softly stroked his back to sooth him. She also whispered sweet nothings in his ear, as he panted into her neck. After a few moments, Booth recovered enough to lift his head from her shoulder. He studied her face intently for a moment before leaning forward and giving her a tender kiss.

"Thank you, Temperance," he told her gently, as he pulled back less than an inch before he leaned forward and kissed her again.

"You're welcome," she told him, with a naughty grin, as they pulled away. "It was my pleasure," she added, as she looked him up and down, stopping for a few seconds at his still exposed groin.

"Oh, no," Booth said, shaking his head and chuckling. "It was mine," he argued before he looked down. "But we are a mess," he declared.

"Well," Brennan said, matter of factly, as she pulled her shirt off. "Isn't it lucky that we're standing right by a pool then?" She tossed the shirt to ground and moved to unzip her pants. She then dropped to the ground to pull off the boots every person going off world had had to wear. "What are you waiting for, Booth? Take off those boots and pants so we can go for a swim and clean up a bit," she urged, as she dropped her boots to the side, jumped back up, drew her pants down her legs and then stepped away from them. In moments, she was left standing before him in nothing but her panties and bra.

"Wow," he breathed, as he took his first good look at her almost as good as naked body. "You're beautiful."

Though it wasn't the first time she'd heard that or even the first time Booth told her that, something in his eyes made her blush, as if it indeed was the first compliment she received.

"Thank you," she said, almost shyly and he had to smile at how much he affected her. But she was Dr. Temperance Brennan and nothing left her speechless for long, not even Special Agent Seeley Booth. "Well, hurry up, Booth. I want to get in the water," she told him, with a smirk, a few seconds later.

"Ok, ok," he told her, with a grin, as he dropped to the ground to take off his boots. When he got up, he pushed his pants down and off. He then had a tough decision to make, get into the water with his underwear on and risk having to put his pants with them still wet or go skinny dipping in an alien planet. He looked at Brennan to see what she had to say about it and found her staring at his body with the same rapt expression she usually reserved for her bones. With a smirk, he wondered if that made his body hers; since he considered her body his, he had no problem with that notion.

With a shrug, he thought 'to hell with it' and dropped his briefs before throwing her a grin and running to the pool. With a 'Whoop!' he jumped into the water and sank beneath the surface for a few seconds. When he resurfaced, he turned to look at Brennan and called out, "Come on, Bones! The water is great," with another whoop, he started to swim towards the waterfall.

She shook her head and grinned at his antics before she decided that if he could, she could too. With that in mind, she took a look around her before taking off her bra and panties. She'd never been skinny dipping before and had never thought her first time would be on an alien planet, but her life had been nothing if not unpredictable since she'd met Booth.

She moved to join Booth in the pool and they spent the next twenty minutes playing as if they were two kids. Two very well developed kids that wanted each other desperately and had to exercise a huge amount of self control to not let their hormones run away with them.

After a while, the water games lost their luster and they decided that for the sake of their sanity, it'd be better if they got out of the water and put on some clothes. Five minutes later, they were clothed, sitting down and eating the snacks Brennan had brought with her.

"This was great, Bones," Booth told her, as he put away the remnants of the apple he'd just finished. "I'm glad you decided to forgo the opportunity to study those bones and brought me here instead."

"Me too," she said softly, as she closed her backpack and moved to lie her head on his shoulder. He put his arm around her shoulder and pulled her closer to him. "You know, Booth, there are some things we probably should talk about."

"More things, Bones?" he asked with a mock pout. "I thought we talked about everything we needed to talk about last night."

"No, Booth," she said, shaking her head and turning her head up so that she could look at his face. "We talked about our feelings and decided to give a relationship – a more intimate relationship," she corrected herself, because as far as she was concerned they'd had a relationship for more than three years already, "a chance. But we never talked about how we would deal with work or when we were going to tell our friends."

Booth nodded his understanding, he too had been thinking about those things, even as he smiled at her assumption that they would tell their friends. Some small part of him had been concerned she'd want to keep the change in their relationship private. He should have known better; she was a very honest person and would not like to have a relationship she'd have to hide from others.

"You're right," he told her, as he shifted into a more comfortable position against the tree he was leaning on. "We do need to talk about that. But do we have to talk right now? This has been a great day, can't we just enjoy it?"

"Sure," she agreed. "But I know Angela is dying to get me alone and question me about that kiss. I thought we should decide what we were going to say before she does finally manage to corner me."

"You're right," he said again with a sigh. "I don't think there's much of a chance that you can continue to avoid her, is there?"

"Nope," she answered, "at least not past the flight tomorrow. If she hasn't managed to get to me before then, I know she'll do it then."

"You're probably right," he agreed. "She's your best friend; I think she has a right to know what's going on. And I don't want to keep this a secret, do you?"

"No," she said, simply and firmly, making him grin, again.

"Good," he replied, before continuing, "in that case, I say tell her the truth - edited of course, but the truth nonetheless."

"Agreed," she said with a nod. "Now, about work . . ."

"What about it?" he asked, as he started to play with her hair.

"Well, will we get in trouble with the FBI?" she asked him, with a worried frown. "Don't they have rules against partners working together?"

"Yes," he answered simply. "They do. But you are not an FBI agent, whatever you might like to think," he joked and she half-smiled.

"No, I'm not," she nodded. "But will they see it that way?"

"I think so," he answered slowly. "But I don't know," he admitted, because this was Bones and because he had been worrying about it. "I'll go see Cullen first thing the day after tomorrow. He's a reasonable man and he knows we make a great team. We have one of the highest case solving and convictions rates of any team. I'm sure that if I go and tell him myself, as soon as possible, we could work something out."

"I hope so," she said somberly, "because I am not working with any other agent."

"Bones, what are you saying?" he asked her, as he shifted so that they were sitting facing each other.

"I'm saying that I love you, Booth," she answered calmly, even though her stomach was in knots. "And that I can't and I won't give us up. Not after everything it took for us to get here. If that means that we can't work together, then, so be it. But I have no interest in going out in the field with any other agent; and I'm not planning on just doing the lab work while someone else goes to the field. So, if I'm not working with you, I'm done working with the FBI. I can use the time to work on other projects and on my writing, anyway," she added, with a shrug.

"Bones," he began, not sure what to say, her announcement had taken him completely by surprise. He believed her when she'd told him she loved him; but to hear her say she'd give up working with the FBI, when he knew how much it meant to her – well, it left him speechless and humbled and more in love than ever. "I love you," he finally said, as he bent forward and kissed her until neither one had a thought in their head or a breath left in their bodies When they finally pulled apart, it took them a few moments before they regained enough breath to speak.

"You know," he began, "Cullen might not take it so well; he might think you're trying to blackmail him into doing what you want," he warned her.

"I'm not trying to blackmail him," she denied calmly; it was weird that as much as his kisses usually scrambled her brain, this kiss had calmed her down and made her think more clearly, making her realize once more that she was making the right decision. "I'm just stating my intentions. Besides, Zack is now a full forensic anthropologist; he's more than capable of taking over my job."

"I am not working with Zack full time," he declared firmly and swiftly.

"What do you have against Zack?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.

"Nothing," he denied. "But I don't want to work with him full time. If I'm not working with you, then I guess I'll need a new assignment."

After that pronouncement, they looked into each other's eyes and they each realized just how committed the other one was to the relationship. The knowledge that both of them were fully committed to it served to calm them down, as nothing else could have. With a soft smile, they leaned forward and shared a sweet kiss. They then snuggled close together and continued to study the waterfall, talking about everything and nothing until they decided they were ready to head back to the base.

The night before, they had declared their love for one another, and that afternoon, they pledged their full commitment to that love and to one another. Come what may later on, both would always consider those hours spent by the waterfall, on an alien planet, the moment they both realized that they would spend the rest of their lives together

As they left that little piece of paradise behind them and prepared to return to their normal lives, they knew that while some things would remain the same, some things had forever been altered and would never and could never be what they had been. And they couldn't be happier about it.

**The End**

(Well, there's a short epilogue coming up and then the sequel. But this is the last we'll see BB, SG1 and the squints until the sequel.)


	25. Chapter 25

**The Men From the Gate**

**Disclaimer: **No, as much as I wish, Santa hasn't given them to me yet.

**A/N: **Ok, so, here's the epilogue. It's short and sweet and just sets up the sequel, which I probably will begin working on next week, but no promises!!

**Epilogue **

"Would you care to explain just how this happened to take place?" Ba'al asked, as he swept his hand to indicate the destruction around him.

"My lord," Arl'ec, the Jaffa in charge of the outpost security answered. He was kneeling on one knee, with his hands resting on the upturned knee and his head bowed in deference to his god – his very angry god. "There's no explanation . . ." 

"No," Ba'al interrupted him, coldly and calmly, "you are right about that, at least. There is no explanation."

"Yes, my lord," Arl'ec agreed. "It won't happen again, my lord."

"You're right about that too," Ba'al replied, with a cold smile, as he turned and paced towards the guards that were standing at his back. "It _won't_ happen again," he repeated as he reached out for the guard's staff weapon, turned and shot Arl'ec all in one smooth move. "I _am_ sure of that," he added, as he un-emotionally watched the Jaffa fall down.

"You," he said, as he turned to the outpost's second, "you're in charge now."

"Yes, my lord," Faru't said, with a nod, as he stepped forward with barely a glance at his fallen comrade.

"Get rid of that," Ba'al said to his guards with a snap of his fingers. He then turned back to Faru't and asked, "What happened?"

"My lord," Faru't said, as he turned and followed Ba'al, as the former System Lord started to walk towards the damaged out post. "The Tauri team, SG1, somehow managed to surprise us and they got past our security . . ."

"Somehow?" Ba'al cut in frostily. "Does that mean you don't know how they got past you?" He asked silkily and menacingly and without waiting for an answer, he continued, "I'll tell you how they got past you: you've become complacent and careless. You've fallen into a routine and haven't bothered to change your patrol times in weeks. SG1 might be a thorn in my side, but they are quite . . . capable. It would be child's play for them to study you and slip past your laughable excuse for security."

He took a deep breath and controlled the impulse to kill every Jaffa involved in this . . . fiasco. Unfortunately, while that may satisfy him momentarily, it wouldn't solve anything and he'd be out a whole squadron of soldiers – granted not very competent soldiers, but soldiers that he needed. Since the fall of the System Lords and the Jaffa uprising (something else laid at the Tauri's feet), finding competent Jaffa had become increasingly difficult since they now wanted to be masters of their own fate and were no longer content following their former gods.

"But I am sure you will not be repeating that mistake, will you?" he asked smoothly with a small smile.

"No, my lord," Faru't nodded, after swallowing hard.

"Good," Ba'al said, as he walked into the outpost. "So, what was the damage?"

"They managed to download all the information from the lab's computer," Faru't started to answer, only to be interrupted by Ba'al's muttering.

"Of course they did," he said with a frown. "I'd have been surprised if Samantha Carter hadn't copied all the information." She might be a mere human, but there's no denying she's an exceptionally gifted one.

"Yes, my lord," Faru't agreed.

"What else?" Ba'al asked, when Faru't didn't immediately continue.

"The maturation chamber, my lord," Faru't said, slowly; he knew how much the former System Lord had invested in that chamber.

"What about it?" Ba'al asked, though he was pretty sure he knew the answer.

"They blew it up, my lord," was Faru't subdued answer.

"Of course they did," Ba'al repeated, and for a moment, he looked more like the devil than the he god he purported being. "How bad is it?" he asked, but again, he knew the answer.

"Completely destroyed, my lord," Faru't said, more confidently than before, since it seemed he wasn't going to be killed like Arl'ec was.

Ba'al tersely nodded at the news; he hadn't expected anything less. The extent of the damage SG1 had inflicted on his, supposedly, secret outpost was becoming more apparent the further into it he walked.

"How is it," he started to ask, so calmly and softly, that Faru't, who had relaxed, tensed up again, "that SG1 was allowed to not only sneak in, but also sneak out, after causing such damage?"

"My lord," Faru't said and paused, when his voice shook; and after a few seconds to gather his thoughts and garner his courage, he continued. "We discovered them as they were leaving," it had been an accident, but there was no need to mention that, "we pursued them and we were sure we'd corner them once they reached the outside. But,"

"Let me guess," Ba'al said when Faru't hesitated; "some of them were waiting outside, hiding in the forest and turned your ambush on its head?"

"My lord," Faru't nodded agreement with Ba'al's assessment. "We did injure Jackson as they were fleeing."

"Did you?" Ba'al asked, quietly, with a small and not pleasant smile. "That is good news. Did he die?"

"It was a serious injury," Faru't temporized, as he didn't know whether Jackson had died or not. "We followed them into the forest . . ."

"But you lost them?" Ba'al interrupted yet again. The abject incompetence of these fools was wearing on him and he just wanted this sorry excuse of a report to be done with. The impulse to kill them all was growing and the only thing staying his hand was the knowledge that he couldn't afford to lose any soldiers – no matter how incompetent they might be.

"Yes, my lord," Faru't agreed quietly. "We think Jackson might have escaped through the Gate; we know at least two of them stayed behind – one of them was Mitchell, the other was an unknown one. But he was good; we tracked them for a few days before we were sure we'd lost them."

"A new addition to SG1?" Ba'al murmured, the only thing in that report that was news to him. "Of course he was good; he wouldn't be with SG1 if he wasn't. Leave me," he abruptly dismissed the Jaffa when he reached what had been the maturation chamber.

He didn't notice when a relieved Faru't departed; all he could see was the complete devastation of what had taken him years to put together. The fury and hatred he felt in that moment for the accursed SG1 was unprecedented; however much he'd wanted them dead in the past was nothing compared to the strength of his feelings now.

It had taken him years to get all the pieces of his plan in place and he was not going to let an upstart bunch of humans ruin it when he'd come so far. Besides, however big a blow this might be, it didn't change a thing. The wheels had already been set in motion and there was nothing SG1 or anyone else could do about it. By the time Samantha Carter and the rest of SG1 figured it out, and he didn't really doubt they'd figure it ou, what his plan was, there'd be nothing they could do about it.

Yes, the end was close, not as close as he'd like but he could be patient for a while longer. He'd waited this long already, what were a few more months. And then he'd have SG1 and the rest of the Tauri at his feet, worshipping him as the god he was. And as a bonus, he'd have the pleasure of finally seeing Jack O'Neill broken – with his world finally conquered and his team annihilated, there'd be nothing for the man to fight for. Death might be too kind for the old general, though; maybe a more fitting punishment would be to see his beloved Samantha turned into Ba'al's queen. Yes, keeping O'Neill alive to see his world turned into the center of Ba'al's new empire and his loved ones dead or in Ba'al's service might be enough payment for all that human had cost him.


End file.
